Influence of deep breathing exercise on spontaneous respiratory rate and heart rate variability: a randomised controlled trial in healthy subjects.
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Date
2012-01
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Abstract
Studies show that yogic type of breathing exercises reduces the
spontaneous respiratory rate. However, there are no conclusive studies on
the effects of breathing exercise on heart rate variability. We investigated
the effects of non-yogic breathing exercise on respiratory rate and heart
rate variability. Healthy subjects (21-33 years, both genders) were
randomized into the intervention group (n=18), which performed daily deep
breathing exercise at 6 breaths/min (0.1 Hz) for one month, and a control
group (n=18) which did not perform any breathing exercise. Baseline
respiratory rate and short-term heart rate variability indices were assessed
in both groups. Reassessment was done after one month and the change
in the parameters from baseline was computed for each group. Comparison
of the absolute changes [median (inter-quartile ranges)] of the parameters
between the intervention and control group showed a significant difference
in the spontaneous respiratory rate [intervention group –2.50 (–4.00,
–1.00), control group 0.00 (–1.00, 1.00), cycles/min, P<0.001], mean arterial
pressure [intervention group –0.67 (–6.67, 1.33), control group 0.67
(0.00, 6.67), mmHg, (P<0.05)], high frequency power [intervention group
278.50 (17.00, 496.00), control group –1.00 (–341.00, 196.00), ms2 P<0.05]
and sum of low and high frequency powers [intervention group 512.00
(–73.00, 999.00), control group 51.00 (–449.00, 324.00), ms2, P<0.05]. Neither
the mean of the RR intervals nor the parameters reflecting sympatho-vagal
balance were significantly different across the groups. In conclusion, the
changes produced by simple deep slow breathing exercise in the respiratory
rate and cardiac autonomic modulation of the intervention group were
significant, when compared to the changes in the control group. Thus
practice of deep slow breathing exercise improves heart rate variability in
healthy subjects, without altering their cardiac autonomic balance. These
findings have implications in the use of deep breathing exercises to improve
cardiac autonomic control in subjects known to have reduced heart rate
variability.
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Keywords
heart rate variability, breathing exercise, respiratory rate, cardiac autonomic tone, spectral power
Citation
Tharion Elizabeth, Samuel Prasanna, Rajalakshmi R, Gnanasenthil G, Subramanian Rajam Krishna. Influence of deep breathing exercise on spontaneous respiratory rate and heart rate variability: a randomised controlled trial in healthy subjects. Indian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology. 2012 Jan-Mar; 56(1): 80-87.