Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 18, 2026
A Community-based Stress Management Program: Using Wearable Devices to Assess Whole Body Physiological Responses in Non-laboratory Settings
Published on: January 22, 2018
Effectiveness of Structured Breathwork Interventions on Heart Rate Variability and Heart Rate Recovery Following
Mark E Jones1, Geneveive Smith2, Anthony Acevedo3
1Department of Health and Human Performance, Concordia University of Chicago, River Forest, IL.
Purpose:
This study investigated the acute effects of two structured breathwork methods on autonomic recovery following maximal exertion.
Materials And Methods:
A randomized control trial was conducted with 62 cadets (44 males and 18 females) assigned to three distinct groups: box breathing (BB), cyclic sighing (CS), or spontaneous breathing control. Participants performed a graded exercise test to assess maximal oxygen consumption (VO 2 ). High-frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV) and heart rate recovery (HRR) were collected to evaluate autonomic recovery and parasympathetic reactivation. HF-HRV was analyzed at three time points: baseline (Pre), 1-3-min postexercise recovery (Post1), and 4-6-min postexercise (Post2). HRR was measured at 1- and 3-min intervals, analyzing reductions from peak heart rate captured at VO 2max . All analyses were evaluated using a 3 (group) × 3 (time) mixed-design repeated-measures analysis of variance.
Results:
All groups were comparable in age, weight, height, and body mass index (21 ± 3 yr; 77.4 ± 15.4 kg; 173.1 ± 9.0 cm; 25.7 ± 4.0 kg·m -2 , respectively). HF-HRV revealed significant main effects for time ( F(2,118) = 465.01, P < 0.001, η 2 =0.89), group ( F(2,59) = 8.20, P < 0.001, η 2 =0.22), and time × group interaction ( F(4,118) = 3.54, P = 0.009, η 2 =0.21). Both the CS and BB groups had greater increases in HF-HRV from Post1 to Post2 when compared to spontaneous breathing ( P = 0.001). HRR improved across all participants from 1- to 3-min postexercise with n group level differences ( F(1,59) = 33.51, P < 0.001, η 2 =0.36).
Conclusions:
Structured breathwork following maximal exertion significantly accelerated parasympathetic reactivation as reflected by HF-HRV. Both BB and CS offer a simple field-ready intervention aimed to enhance operational readiness for tactical populations through enhancing acute physiological recovery.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:17Exercise and Cardiac Output
Sustained exercise increases the muscles' oxygen demand, which can be...
01:20Exercise and Cardiovascular Response
Light to moderate physical activity initiates a series of interconnected responses in the body. The heart rate modestly increases in anticipation of the workout, followed by widespread vasodilation as oxygen consumption by skeletal muscles increases. This results in decreased peripheral resistance, increased capillary blood flow, and accelerated...