Key result
Randomized trial protocol will evaluate Buteyko Breathing for improving cardiorespiratory fitness.
Why the study?
Limited research is available on the effects of Buteyko Breathing on athletic performance, particularly in enhancing VO2 max, resting heart rate, and resting blood pressure.
Does adjunctive Buteyko Breathing improve cardiorespiratory fitness, resting heart rate, and resting blood pressure in recreational athletes undergoing functional training?
RCT (n=60)
Open-label
Computer-generated randomisation
No
Does adjunctive Buteyko Breathing improve cardiorespiratory fitness, resting heart rate, and resting blood pressure in recreational athletes undergoing functional training?
This protocol outlines an upcoming randomized controlled trial to determine if adjunctive Buteyko Breathing enhances cardiorespiratory fitness and physiological parameters in recreational athletes.
Published RCT protocol tests adjunctive Buteyko breathing in athletes; leaves open effects on VO2 max and resting hemodynamics.
Introduction: Buteyko Breathing (BB) has shown potential to improve cardiorespiratory endurance in previous studies. The breath-holding effect of BB is the condition of maintaining high carbon-dioxide levels all the time, which can lower blood pH, causing more oxygen to be released into the tissues and increased cardiorespiratory endurance. BB is about slow and shallow nasal breathing, aiming to prevent hyperventilation, which may consequently increase parasympathetic activity. Need of the study: With limited research available on the effects of BB on athletic performance, especially in enhancing VO2 max, Resting Heart Rate (RHR) and Resting Blood Pressure (RBP). This randomised controlled trial aims to fill this gap by providing valuable insights into how BB can improve Cardio Respiratory Fitness (CRF) and physiological parameters. The objective of this study is to see whether daily BB practice over six weeks would increase cardiorespiratory endurance and lower RHR and RBP. Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness of BB on CRF and physiological parameters among recreational athletes. Materials and Methods: A randomised controlled trial will be conducted at Maharishi Markandeshwar (deemed to be university), Mullana, Ambala, Haryana, India, from March 2025 to July 2026. A total of 60 recreational athletes aged 18-40 years regularly engaged in sports for at least two years will be recruited and randomised into an experimental group (Group A), which will receive functional training exercises in combination with the BB exercise, and a control group (Group B) will have only functional training. Normality will be assessed with the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Parametric tests (paired t-test, Independent t-test) will be used for normally distributed data, and non-parametric tests (Wilcoxon signed-rank test, MannWhitney U test) for non normal data. A value of p<0.05 will be considered statistically significant.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Patra et al. (2026) conducted an RCT in Recreational athletes (Cardiorespiratory fitness) (n=60). Buteyko Breathing Technique (BBT) combined with functional training vs. Functional training alone was evaluated on Cardiorespiratory Fitness (VO2 max) measured by the Queen's College Step Test. This paper is a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial aiming to evaluate Buteyko Breathing on cardiorespiratory fitness, and thus does not yet report clinical results.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: