Enhancement of Synchronization between Physiological Signals during Exercise: A Preliminary Investigation

During running, interactions were considered between three physiological oscillators - the heart, breaths, and steps. During intense exercise, the oscillations of all three systems are close to regular, producing good conditions to observe and characterise synchronization. The origin, as well as any physiological significance, of synchronization between these systems during running is not fully accepted or understood. Furthermore, the impact on synchronization of controlling both breathing and step rate has not been previously reported in detail. This study aims to measure cardiolocomotor, cardiorespiratory and respiratory- locomotor synchronization during different running protocols. Breathing was controlled by taking a fixed number of steps per breath (ratios of 5:1 and 3:1). Step rate was then guided at rates close to active heart rate, to instigate 1:1 phase-locking. Instantaneous phase difference quantified synchronization episodes. We have successfully observed all three forms of synchronization during all running protocols. Furthermore, coupling between heartbeats and steps was more pronounced when step rate was guided, and both cardiorespiratory and respiratory-locomotor coupling were extended when breathing rate was fixed to steps. These are exciting initial results from a novel experimental design, highlighting the complex interconnection that exists between these three systems during running, and the conditions to best observe the phenomena.