Response speed is modulated by respiratory phase

Mere milliseconds can determine whether a sprinter or swimmer wins or places second. Would it help to intentionally control breathing while awaiting the starting signal? Here, we analyzed sustained-attention performance in 35 adults and found that response speed varied with respiratory phase. Responses were faster during exhalations and during respiratory pauses compared to during inhalations. Fine-grained analyses across the entire respiratory cycle revealed that reaction times were slowest around the peak of inhalations, corroborating a systematic relationship between respiratory phase and speed of response in this widely used attention test. This work highlights respiration as an important contributor to moment-to-moment variability in performance under circumstances of sustained attention and suggests potential benefits of aligning breathing patterns with task demands.