25th Annual Student Research Conference
Can Ujjayi Breathing Increase the Effectiveness of 6-bpm Heart Rate Variability Training?
Andrew L. Turner*, Josh D. Day, and Sierra A. Horton
Dr. Fred Shaffer, Faculty Mentor
This study examined whether ujjayi breathing at 6 bpm, 6-bpm alone, or breathing normally, produces greater HRV. In this within-subjects design, Twenty-two undergraduate participants were randomly assigned to three 5-minute conditions (ujjayi 6-bpm, 6-bpm, and normal breathing) separated by 2-minute buffer periods. An EKG was used to measure heart rate and a strain gauge was used to measure breathing rate. We used two time domain measures (SDNN and HR Max-HR Min) and two frequency domain measures (LF and LF/HF ratio) to assess HRV. Only the 6-bpm condition increased SDNN compared to the control condition. Both 6-bpm alone and ujjayi breathing increased HR Max-HR Min, increased LF percentage power and increased the LF/HF ratio. Since the ujjayi condition did not produce greater HRV than 6-bpm breathing alone, these findings discourage adding ujjayi breathing to increase HRV. Future research should replicate these findings with a gender‐balanced more demographically representative clinical sample.
Keywords: meditation, heart rate variability, respiration
Topic(s):Psychology
Biology
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 403-2
Location: MG 1000
Time: 2:45