Key result
Progressive muscle relaxation significantly increased heart rate variability compared to an active control group over 77 days, whereas resonance frequency training had no effect.
Why the study?
The study aimed to examine whether regular resonance frequency training or progressive muscle relaxation can gradually increase heart rate variability in healthy individuals.
Do progressive muscle relaxation and resonance frequency training increase heart rate variability in healthy individuals?
Do progressive muscle relaxation and resonance frequency training increase heart rate variability in healthy individuals?
Progressive muscle relaxation, but not resonance frequency training, significantly increases heart rate variability in healthy young adults over a 77-day period.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Small pilot in healthy young adults leaves open RFT/PMR effects on HRV; larger RCTs needed before any clinical consideration.
The aim of this study was to examine whether it is possible to gradually increase heart rate variability (HRV) in healthy individuals (21 participants, M = 21.24 years, SD = 1.57, range 19 to 26) through regular exercises of average resonance frequency training (RFT; 6 breaths/min; 5 min each day) and progressive muscle relaxation (PMR; three times a week for 20 min). The effects were tested against an active control group using a linear mixed effect model with random slopes (day), random intercepts (participants) and an autoregressive error term. The special feature of this pilot study is that HRV was measured every day in an ambulatory assessment over 77 days, so that graduate long-term effects on HRV can be mapped. The results indicated that the PMR group significantly increased their HRV compared to the active control group. However, no effect was observed for the RFT group. Possible explanations for these results and important recommendations for subsequent studies are provided.
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Groß et al. (2021) studied Healthy individuals (n=21). Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) and resonance frequency training (RFT) vs. Active control group was evaluated on Heart rate variability (HRV). Progressive muscle relaxation significantly increased heart rate variability compared to an active control group over 77 days, whereas resonance frequency training had no effect.
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