Key result
Voluntary motor command dominates cardiac autonomic regulation across breathing rates, preserving parasympathetic activity during recovery.
Why the study?
Adaptations in cardiac autonomic regulation induced by physical training are central to the health benefits of exercise, but the interaction between central motor command, breathing rate, and expiration timing required investigation.
Does voluntary motor command and respiration pattern affect cardiac autonomic regulation during isolated joint movement in volunteers?
Comparison
Active vs passive movement across breathing patterns and expiration timings
Design
Randomized crossover trial
Authors
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Motor command may limit breathing-based autonomic interventions during movement; leaves open targeted expiration strategies in recovery.
RCT (n=15)
Does voluntary motor command and respiration pattern affect cardiac autonomic regulation during isolated joint movement in volunteers?
p-value: p=<0.001
Voluntary motor command exerts a dominant effect on cardiac autonomic control compared to respiration, though expiration during the recovery phase of movement helps preserve parasympathetic regulation.
Doussineau et al. (2025) reported an RCT. Active leg extension with varying breathing patterns and expiration timing vs. Passive movement, spontaneous breathing, and expiration during extension was evaluated on RR intervals and their variability (indices of autonomic and parasympathetic regulation) (p=<0.001). Voluntary motor command exerted a dominant influence over cardiac autonomic regulation regardless of breathing rate (p<0.001), while expiration during the recovery phase preserved parasympathetic activity.
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