How Breath-Control Can Change Your Life: A Systematic Review on Psycho-Physiological Correlates of Slow Breathing (original) (raw)
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The physiological effects of slow breathing in the healthy human
Breathe (Sheffield, England), 2017
Slow breathing practices have been adopted in the modern world across the globe due to their claimed health benefits. This has piqued the interest of researchers and clinicians who have initiated investigations into the physiological (and psychological) effects of slow breathing techniques and attempted to uncover the underlying mechanisms. The aim of this article is to provide a comprehensive overview of normal respiratory physiology and the documented physiological effects of slow breathing techniques according to research in healthy humans. The review focuses on the physiological implications to the respiratory, cardiovascular, cardiorespiratory and autonomic nervous systems, with particular focus on diaphragm activity, ventilation efficiency, haemodynamics, heart rate variability, cardiorespiratory coupling, respiratory sinus arrhythmia and sympathovagal balance. The review ends with a brief discussion of the potential clinical implications of slow breathing techniques. This is ...
Voluntary slow breathing (VSB) is used as a prevention technique to support physical and mental health, given it is suggested to influence the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). However, to date, no comprehensive quantitative review exists to support or refute this claim. We address this through a systematic review and metaanalysis of the effects of VSB on heart rate variability (HRV). Specifically, we focus on HRV parameters indexing PNS activity regulating cardiac functioning, referred to as vagally-mediated (vm)HRV: (1) during the breathing session (i.e., DURING), (2) immediately after one training session (i.e., IM-AFTER1), as well as (3) after a multisession intervention (i.e., AFTER-INT). From the 1842 selected abstracts, 223 studies were suitable for inclusion (172 DURING, 16 IM-AFTER1, and 49 AFTER-INT). Results indicate increases in vmHRV with VSB, DURING, IM-AFTER1, and AFTER-INT. Given the involvement of the PNS in a large range of health-related outcomes and conditions, VSB exercises could be advised as a low-tech and low-cost technique to use in prevention and adjunct treatment purposes, with few adverse effects expected.
A Pilot Study in the Physiology of Voluntary Breathing
SSRN Electronic Journal, 2019
“Take a deep breath and calm down”, who has not ever heard this exhortation? The advice is based upon individual experience of calm resulting from deep breathing. Various cultures have used it as a preventative and remedial practice for a number of mental, physical and social disorders. Modern medicine, however, effectively rejects the underlying hypothesis. Being a practitioner of deep breathing, from personal experience the author is certain of its effectiveness in health, wellness and development of executive function. The underlying thought is that breath is life, therefore its quality must be a determinant of human health, wellness executive control. Unable to find credible references to deep breathing in books on modern physiology, the author decided to confront the problem himself by making some replicable measurements, primarily on himself, of oxygen uptake while breathing deep. The study indicates that oxygen uptake during deep breathing at a frequency of 8 to 3 breaths per minute increases by 100 to 200% respectively over its value at 15 breaths per minute considered average for autonomic breathing. Such an increase in oxygen uptake is a reason compelling enough to disseminate the results to health professionals for further study.
The effects of slow breathing on affective responses to pain stimuli: An experimental study
Pain, 2010
This study examined whether breathing rate affected self-reported pain and emotion following thermal pain stimuli in women with fibromyalgia syndrome (FM: n = 27) or age-matched healthy control women (HC: n = 25). FM and HC were exposed to low and moderate thermal pain pulses during paced breathing at their normal rate and one-half their normal rate. Thermal pain pulses were presented in four blocks of four trials. Each block included exposure to both mild and moderate pain trials, and periods of both normal and slow paced breathing. Pain intensity and unpleasantness were recorded immediately following each pain trial, and positive and negative affect were assessed at the end of each block of trials. Compared to normal breathing, slow breathing reduced ratings of pain intensity and unpleasantness, particularly for moderately versus mildly painful thermal stimuli. The effects of slow breathing on pain ratings were less reliable for FM patients than for HCs. Slow versus normal breathing decreased negative affect ratings following thermal pain pulses for both groups, and increased positive affect reports, but only for healthy controls with high trait negative affect. Participants who reported higher levels of trait positive affect prior to the experiment showed greater decreases in negative affect as a result of slow versus normal breathing. These experimental findings provide support for prior reports on the benefits of yogic breathing and mindful Zen meditation for pain and depressed affect. However, chronic pain patients may require more guidance to obtain therapeutic benefit from reduced breathing rates.
Pain Medicine, 2012
Objective. Deep and slow breathing (DSB) techniques, as a component of various relaxation techniques, have been reported as complementary approaches in the treatment of chronic pain syndromes, but the relevance of relaxation for alleviating pain during a breathing intervention was not evaluated so far. Methods. In order to disentangle the effects of relaxation and respiration, we investigated two different DSB techniques at the same respiration rates and depths on pain perception, autonomic activity, and mood in 16 healthy subjects. In the attentive DSB intervention, subjects were asked to breathe guided by a respiratory feedback task requiring a high degree of concentration and constant attention. In the relaxing DSB intervention, the subjects relaxed during the breathing training. The skin conductance levels, indicating sympathetic tone, were measured during the breathing maneuvers. Thermal detection and pain thresholds for cold and hot stimuli and profile of mood states were examined before and after the breathing sessions. Results. The mean detection and pain thresholds showed a significant increase resulting from the relaxing DSB, whereas no significant changes of these thresholds were found associated with the attentive DSB. The mean skin conductance levels indicating sympathetic activity decreased significantly during the relaxing DSB intervention but not during the attentive DSB. Both breathing interventions showed similar reductions in negative feelings (tension, anger, and depression). Conclusion. Our results suggest that the way of breathing decisively influences autonomic and pain processing, thereby identifying DSB in concert with relaxation as the essential feature in the modulation of sympathetic arousal and pain perception.
Creating Awareness about Controlled Breathing
International Journal of Social Impact, 2023
Breath as we know is of vital importance in our lives and we cannot live beyond two minutes if deprived of breath. That is the reason God has gifted us with automatic breathing which goes on effortlessly, uninterruptedly, and continuously throughout our lives. It goes on at a stable pace but on occasions when we are angry, frightened or emotionally disturbed our breathing changes pace and becomes short and fast. Contrarily, during yogic exercises, our breath becomes slow, longer and deeper making our mind calm. Thus, breath speed and durations can be varied at our wish. Controlled breathing which is done deeply, at a slow speed, and of longer duration is very beneficial and very important. Most of us are not aware of the importance of controlled breathing. This paper attempts to create awareness about its importance. In this paper, we shall learn what is breathing, what different types of breathing are, what is meant by controlled breathing, and how it can be done. We shall explore what benefits accrue if we make it our natural habit to have controlled breathing. In this context, we shall discuss Yoga also which is rich with knowledge on breath and mind control.
Impact of slow breathing on the blood pressure and subarachnoid space width oscillations in humans
Scientific Reports, 2019
the aim of the study was to assess cardiac and respiratory blood pressure (Bp) and subarachnoid space (sAs) width oscillations during the resting state for slow and fast breathing and breathing against inspiratory resistance. Experiments were performed on a group of 20 healthy volunteers (8 males and 12 females; age 25.3 ± 7.9 years; BMI = 22.1 ± 3.2 kg/m 2). Bp and heart rate (HR) were measured using continuous finger-pulse photoplethysmography. SAS signals were recorded using an sAs monitor. oxyhaemoglobin saturation (sao 2) and end-tidal CO 2 (EtCO 2) were measured using a medical monitoring system. Procedure 1 consisted of breathing spontaneously and at controlled rates of 6 breaths/minute and 6 breaths/minute with inspiratory resistance for 10 minutes. Procedure 2 consisted of breathing spontaneously and at controlled rates of 6, 12 and 18 breaths/minute for 5 minutes. Wavelet analysis with the Morlet mother wavelet was applied for delineation of BP and SAS signals cardiac and respiratory components. slow breathing diminishes amplitude of cardiac Bp and SAS oscillations. The overall increase in BP and SAS oscillations during slow breathing is driven by the respiratory component. Drop in cardiac component of BP amplitude evoked by slow-breathing may be perceived as a cardiovascular protective mechanism to avoid target organ damage. Further studies are warranted to assess long-term effects of slow breathing. Slow breathing practices have been practiced for thousands of years amongst Eastern cultures due to their perceived health benefits 1. Yogic breathing (pranayama) represents an example of such ancient practice of controlled breathing, often performed in conjunction with meditation or yoga 2,3. Significantly, a number of studies based on modern experimental and computational approaches have confirmed that ancient techniques with controlled respiration may exert a beneficial impact on overall well-being. For instance, resonant breathing (6 breaths per minute) results in improvements in cardiovascular functions such as blood flow to internal organs and sensitivity of the sympathetic component of the baroreflex and ventricular elastance 4-6. Various yoga techniques based on slow breathing were also reported to improve cognitive functions among their practitioners 7. Several studies have demonstrated a reduction in acute mean arterial pressure (MAP) during controlled slow respiration 5,8,9. Controlled slow breathing, particularly at 6 breaths per minute, is associated with augmented BP fluctuations of respiratory origin, as compared to the BP oscillations observed during spontaneous breathing 4,8,10. However, it remains unclear how controlled slow breathing affects BP oscillations of cardiac origin. Delineation of the cardiac and respiratory components may help to better understand those BP-related mechanisms that are implicated in cardiovascular disease. Importantly, the calculating wavelet amplitude ensures the identification of cardiac and respiratory components during provocative tests.
Breath of Life: The Respiratory Vagal Stimulation Model of Contemplative Activity
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 2018
Contemplative practices, such as meditation and yoga, are increasingly popular among the general public and as topics of research. Beneficial effects associated with these practices have been found on physical health, mental health and cognitive performance. However, studies and theories that clarify the underlying mechanisms are lacking or scarce. This theoretical review aims to address and compensate this scarcity. We will show that various contemplative activities have in common that breathing is regulated or attentively guided. This respiratory discipline in turn could parsimoniously explain the physical and mental benefits of contemplative activities through changes in autonomic balance. We propose a neurophysiological model that explains how these specific respiration styles could operate, by phasically and tonically stimulating the vagal nerve: respiratory vagal nerve stimulation (rVNS). The vagal nerve, as a proponent of the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), is the prime candidate in explaining the effects of contemplative practices on health, mental health and cognition. We will discuss implications and limitations of our model.
Regulation of autonomic functions following two high frequency yogic breathing techniques
TANG [HUMANITAS MEDICINE], 2015
Yoga is an ancient Indian system of life, encompassing various practices including practices for selfdiscipline and also for regulating the health states of the individual, being practiced for thousands of years. The present study aims at understanding the effect of two high frequency breathing practices over autonomic nervous system. Forty healthy male volunteers of age 21 ± 2 years with 9 ± 3 months of Yoga practice experience were recruited. The two high frequency Yoga breathing practices, kapalabhati (KB) and bhastrika (BH) were given as interventions randomly on either of the two days to minimise laboratory bias. They were assessed before and immediately after the interventions for heart rate, respiratory rate, heart rate variability (HRV), blood pressure and peripheral oxygen saturation. There was a significant increase in heart rate (p < 0.01; p < 0.001), systolic blood pressure (p < 0.01; p < 0.001), NN50 (p < 0.01; p < 0.001) component of HRV for both KB and BH groups respectively. There was a significant reduction in respiratory rate in both the groups (p < 0.001, and p < 0.05, BH and KB respectively) immediately following intervention. A significant increase in LF component of HRV and reduction in Diastolic blood pressure and high frequency (HF) component following KB was also observed (p < 0.05, for all comparisons). The Mean peripheral oxygen saturation remained unaltered in both the groups (p > 0.05). The results suggest that high frequency yoga breathing practices induce physiological arousal immediately as evidenced by increased blood pressure and heart rate. The sympathetic arousal was more following KB session as evidenced by an increased diastolic blood pressure, LF power and a decrease in HF power of HRV as compared to the BH session.