Key result
Paced singing at 0.1 Hz significantly increased low-frequency heart rate variability compared to spontaneous breathing, but did not have a robust effect on cardiovascular stress reactivity.
Why the study?
Slow breathing at ~ 0.1 Hz benefits health, but whether paced singing at 0.1 Hz has beneficial acute effects on physiological function compared to slow breathing was unexamined.
Does paced singing at 0.1 Hz reduce cardiovascular stress reactivity compared to paced breathing or spontaneous breathing/singing?
RCT (n=101)
Randomized to one of four experimental interventions
No
Does paced singing at 0.1 Hz reduce cardiovascular stress reactivity compared to paced breathing or spontaneous breathing/singing?
Absolute Event Rate: 8.63% vs 6.68%
p-value: p=<0.001
Paced singing at 0.1 Hz increases cardiovascular coherence similarly to paced breathing, but does not robustly reduce acute cardiovascular stress reactivity.
Paced singing at 0.1 Hz may elevate LF-HRV similarly to breathing without blunting stress reactivity; leaves open its role as alternative pending larger trials.
Slow breathing at 6 breaths per min (corresponding to ~ 0.1 Hz) has been found to benefit psychological and physical health. In this study, we aimed to examine if paced singing at 0.1 Hz has beneficial acute effects on physiological function as compared to slow breathing. Participants were randomized to one of four experimental interventions prior to performing a mental stress task: paced breathing at 0.1 Hz ( n = 26), paced singing at 0.1 Hz ( n = 26), spontaneous breathing ( n = 24), or spontaneous singing ( n = 25). Heart rate, heart rate variability in the low (LF-HRV) and high frequency (HF-HRV) domain, blood pressure and affective wellbeing were assessed. As expected, both paced breathing and paced singing resulted in elevated LF-HRV. Moreover, both singing groups evidenced increases in heart rate, blood pressure and positive affect, thus indicating elevated sympathetic activation. Breathing and singing at 0.1 Hz had no robust effect on cardiovascular stress reactivity. Findings suggest that paced singing could constitute a promising alternative to slow paced breathing as it increases cardiovascular coherence, although more studies are needed to elucidate whether slow breathing and/or singing could ameliorate acute stress responses.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Tanzmeister et al. (2022) conducted an RCT in Healthy amateur singers (stress reactivity) (n=101). Paced singing at 0.1 Hz vs. Spontaneous breathing, spontaneous singing, or paced breathing at 0.1 Hz was evaluated on Low-frequency heart rate variability (log LF-HRV) during intervention (p=<0.001). Paced singing at 0.1 Hz significantly increased low-frequency heart rate variability compared to spontaneous breathing, but did not have a robust effect on cardiovascular stress reactivity.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: