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Acute effects of voluntary breathing patterns on postural control during walking
Dimitris N Karagiannakis1, Dimitris G Mandalidis1
1Sports Physical Therapy Laboratory, School of Physical Education and Sports Science, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece.
Human Movement Science
|January 29, 2025
Summary
Voluntary abdominal breathing (VAB) and voluntary thoracic breathing (VTB) alter neck muscle activity and improve gait stability. VAB specifically narrows step width and reduces forefoot ground forces during walking.
Area of Science:
- Biomechanics
- Neuroscience
- Respiratory Physiology
Background:
- Breathing and postural control are interdependent.
- The impact of voluntary breathing on gait biomechanics is not well understood.
- Investigating voluntary abdominal (VAB) and thoracic breathing (VTB) effects on gait is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess EMG responses of neck and trunk muscles during VAB and VTB.
- To evaluate gait kinematic, stability, and kinetic parameters under VAB and VTB.
- To compare these effects against involuntary breathing (INB).
Main Methods:
- 24 healthy adults walked on an instrumented treadmill at 5.0 km/h.
- EMG activity of neck and trunk muscles was recorded.
- Spatiotemporal, stability, and kinetic gait parameters were analyzed during INB, VAB, and VTB.
Main Results:
- VAB and VTB balanced sternocleidomastoid (SCM) and upper trapezius (UT) muscle activity.
- VAB walking resulted in narrower step width and reduced forefoot vertical ground reaction forces (vGRF).
- No significant effects were observed on erector spinae muscles or other gait parameters.
Conclusions:
- VAB influences gait parameters like step width and forefoot vGRF, likely via balanced SCM/UT activation.
- Balanced neck muscle activation may improve head stability and postural control during walking.
- Voluntary breathing strategies can modulate gait and postural control mechanisms.
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