Abstract
Objective: To compare respiratory status during voluntary breathing and expiratory awareness breathing based on subjective and objective indicators and investigate their effect on post-stair climbing exercise respiratory recovery.
Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, 18 university seniors underwent the Master’s two-step test in two breathing conditions: voluntary breathing (natural breathing) and expiratory awareness breathing. Respiratory rate, heart rate, respiratory status (inspiratory-expiratory time), SpO2, respiratory recovery time, breathlessness, and lower limb fatigue were measured and compared using telemetry-based physiological signal monitoring.
Results: According to post-stair climbing exercise Borg scale scores, breathlessness (p = .012) and lower limb fatigue (p = .025) were significantly lower in the expiratory awareness breathing condition than in the voluntary breathing condition. The respiratory recovery time was significantly shorter in expiratory awareness breathing by 18.5 s (p = .026) than in voluntary breathing.
Conclusion: Expiratory awareness breathing suggests a reduction in post-stair climbing exercise breathlessness and lower limb fatigue compared with voluntary breathing, along with a shortened respiratory recovery time.
