2015 Volume 33 Issue 3 Pages 205-214
Although self-controlled breathing is a widely used relaxation technique, little is known about the mechanisms underlying its clinical effects. Thus, the purpose of this study was to clarify the effect of paced breathing (PB) on the respiratory system. Following a 20-min rest, 10 healthy males and females engaged in slow PB, moving progressively from 12 through 2 cpm. We found the following: 1) subjects progressively reduced their respiration rate (RR) (p<.05); 2) the pressure of the end-tidal CO2 (PetCO2) was maintained under PB conditions, whereas the constant error and coefficient of variation of RR increased markedly under the 2-cpm PB condition (p<.05); 3) minute ventilation (V·E), CO2 output (V·CO2), and CO2 equivalence (V·E/V·CO2) decreased significantly under the 2-cpm condition (p<.05), demonstrating gas-exchange efficiency; and 4) the total power of heart rate variability and baroreflex sensitivity were highest under the 4-cpm breathing condition. These results suggest that PB does not affect the respiratory gas-exchange system but does affect respiratory sensations, such as suffocation.
