Key result
Breathing at frequencies between 0.08 and 0.11 Hz produced similar heart rate variability and coherence effects as the standard resonance frequency of 0.10 Hz, though maintaining slower rhythms like 0.07 Hz was difficult for most participants.
Why the study?
Does breathing at a specific range of frequencies (0.07-0.12 Hz) produce similar heart rate variability coherence as the resonance frequency (0.10 Hz) in healthy adults?
Cross-Sectional (n=42)
Does breathing at a specific range of frequencies (0.07-0.12 Hz) produce similar heart rate variability coherence as the resonance frequency (0.10 Hz) in healthy adults?
Breathing at a range of frequencies (0.08-0.11 Hz) can achieve similar heart rate variability coherence as the specific resonance frequency of 0.10 Hz, suggesting strict adherence to a single frequency is not necessary for relaxation.
May support flexible breathing rates near 0.10 Hz for HRV coherence; leaves open benefits in clinical populations.
The relaxation response is a method of overcoming stress factors. It is activated through slow breathing, which causes high heart rate variability. Higher heart rate variability increases the activity of parasympathetic nervous system causing organism to relax. The relaxation response is activated, when human organism achieves a state of inner balance, which is called the coherence. One of techniques to achieve this state of balance is breathing in the specific rhythm, which is usually around 0.1 Hz of frequency. This value is called the resonance frequency. In this study the activity of central nervous system in the specific range of breathing frequencies (0.07-0.12 Hz) has been checked in order to find an answer, if the relaxation response is triggered by one specific frequency or is there a specific range of breathing frequencies, which lead to the state of inner balance. In order to check the changes throughout human body the heart rate assessed by biofeedback technique has been used. It is a non-invasive method examining the function of sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system through the changes in natural heart rhythm. Throughout the biofeedback sessions the resonance frequency is measured. The aim of this study was to check if there is a difficulty for subjects to maintain imposed breathing rhythm and if there is only one universal resonance frequency for everyone or is there a specified range. The study confirmed the difficulty of maintaining unnatural breathing frequency. It has also showed that there is a specific range of frequency values which can be used to achieve the coherence state.
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Florczak et al. (2015) conducted a cross-sectional in Healthy (n=42). Imposed breathing frequencies (0.07-0.12 Hz) vs. 0.10 Hz (resonance frequency) was evaluated on Heart rate variability parameters (HF N, HF, ShEN) and ability to maintain breathing rhythm. Breathing at frequencies between 0.08 and 0.11 Hz produced similar heart rate variability and coherence effects as the standard resonance frequency of 0.10 Hz, though maintaining slower rhythms like 0.07 Hz was difficult for most participants.
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