Effects of Progressive Slow Breathing on Gas Exchange

Abstract

Although self-controlled breathing is a widely used relaxation technique, little is known about the mechanisms underlying its clinical effects. Thus, the purpose of this study was to clarify the effect of paced breathing (PB) on the respiratory system. Following a 20-min rest, 10 healthy males and females engaged in slow PB, moving progressively from 12 through 2 cpm. We found the following: 1 subjects progressively reduced their respiration rate (RR) (p .05); 2 the pressure of the end-tidal CO 2 (PetCO 2) was maintained under PB conditions, whereas the constant error and coefficient of variation of RR increased markedly under the 2-cpm PB condition (p .05); 3 minute ventilation (V • E), CO 2 output (V • CO 2), and CO 2 equivalence (V • E/V • CO 2) decreased significantly under the 2-cpm condition (p .05), demonstrating gas-exchange efficiency; and 4 the total power of heart rate variability and baroreflex sensitivity were highest under the 4-cpm breathing condition. These results suggest that PB does not affect the respiratory gas-exchange system but does affect respiratory sensations, such as suffocation.

History and Recent Advances of the Japanese Society of Biofeedback Research

“…Terai and Umezawa ( 2015 ) examined the effect of progressive slow breathing on gas exchange in ten healthy participants (aged 23–29 years), in which participants were engaged progressively in a series of paced breathing at 12/10/8/6/4/2 cpm (5 min each). Findings revealed that the PetCO 2 level remained unchanged throughout all breathing conditions.…”

“…These results suggest that the slow-paced breathing conditions improved the efficiency of gas exchange and enhanced cardiac vagal activity. Therefore, Terai and Umezawa ( 2015 ) concluded that slow-paced breathing may have a clinical effect through the resting function.…”