Box breathing and cyclic sighing significantly increased high-frequency heart rate variability compared to spontaneous breathing during recovery from maximal exertion (p=0.001).
Does structured breathwork (box breathing or cyclic sighing) improve heart rate variability and heart rate recovery following maximal exertion in cadets?
Structured breathwork, specifically box breathing and cyclic sighing, significantly accelerates parasympathetic reactivation following maximal exertion compared to spontaneous breathing.
Absolute Event Rate: 0% vs 0%
Purpose: This study investigated the acute effects of two structured breathwork methods on autonomic recovery following maximal exertion. Materials and Methods: A randomized control trial was conducted with 62 cadets (44 males, 18 females) assigned to three distinct groups: box breathing (BB), cyclic sighing (CS), or spontaneous breathing control (CTL). Participants performed a graded exercise test to assess maximal oxygen consumption (VO2). High frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV) and heart rate recovery (HRR) were collected to evaluate autonomic recovery and parasympathetic reactivation. HF-HRV was analyzed at three time points: baseline (Pre), 1-3-min post exercise recovery (Post1), and 4-6-min post exercise (Post2). HRR was measured at 1- and 3-min analyzing reductions from peak heart rate captured at VO 2max . All analysis was evaluated using a 3 (group) × 3 (time) mix design repeated measures ANOVA. Results: All groups were comparable in age, weight, height, and body mass index (21 ± 3 yr; 77.4 ± 15.4 kg; 173.1 ± 9.0 cm; 25.7 ± 4.0 kg·m⁻², respectively). HF-HRV revealed significant main effects for time ( F (2,118) = 465.01, p <0.001, η²=0.89), group ( F (2,59) = 8.20, p <0.001, η²=0.22), and Time × Group interaction ( F (4,118) = 3.54, p =0.009, η²=0.21). Both the CS and BB groups had greater increases in HF-HRV from Post1 to Post2 when compared to spontaneous breathing ( p = 0.001). HRR improved across all participants from 1- to 3-minute post-exercise with n group level differences ( F (1,59) = 33.51, p <0.001, η²=0.36). Conclusions: Structured breath work following maximal exertion significantly accelerated parasympathetic reactivation as reflected by HF-HRV. Both box breathing and cyclic sighing offer a simple field ready intervention aimed to enhance operational readiness for tactical populations through enhancing acute physiological recovery.
Jones et al. (Thu,) reported a other. Box breathing and cyclic sighing significantly increased high-frequency heart rate variability compared to spontaneous breathing during recovery from maximal exertion (p=0.001).