Breathwork and Stress: Investigating the Mechanisms of Action and Effectiveness of Breathing Interventions in Modulating the Psychophysiological Response to Acute Stress Test

Summary

This study investigates whether the psychophysiological benefits of breathing exercises are driven by a specific physiological rhythm (6 breaths per minute) or by the general psychological experience of performing a structured, mindful activity. Researchers aim to determine if "coherent breathing", which is hypothesized to synchronize heart and respiratory rhythms, offers unique physiological protection against stress compared to breathing at a natural pace or simple resting. The main questions it aims to answer are:

* Does slow, steady breathing at 6 breaths per minute lower physical stress markers (like heart rate variability and cortisol) better than faster, but structured breathing or just sitting still?
* Is the calming effect caused by the specific breathing rhythm or simply by performing a structured, relaxing activity?

Researchers will compare three groups to see if the specific rhythm of "coherent breathing" offers unique benefits:

1. Group (Interventional): Coherent Breathing: Slow breathing at 6 breaths per minute.
2. Group (Sham Breathing): Regular breathing at 15 breaths per minute (matching a natural pace).
3. Spontaneous Breathing (Control Group): Natural, unguided breathing.

Participants will:

* Complete a one-day preparation phase to become familiar with the breathing technique.
* Visit the research center for one experimental session.
* Perform their assigned breathing method before and after a stress test.
* Take the Maastricht Acute Stress Test (MAST), which involves putting a hand in cold water and doing mental math.
* Provide saliva samples and have their heart rate variability, and mood measured multiple times.

Conditions

• Healthy Adult Participants
• Acute Stress Reaction
• Stress Biomarkers
• Healthy

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Coherent Breathing (6 bpm)

A 10-minute session of guided nasal diaphragmatic, coherent breathing. Participants follow rhythmic audio bell cues: a low tone for a 5.5-second inhalation and a high tone for a 5.5-second exhalation. Instructions emphasize silent, gentle nasal breathing and abdominal (diaphragmatic) expansion without lifting the shoulders. Participants are asked to focus their attention on the sensations of air flow or abdominal movement throughout the session. The intervention is performed twice: before and after the stress protocol

BEHAVIORAL

Sham Breathing (15 bpm)

A 10-minute session of guided nasal diaphragmatic breathing at a rate of 15 breaths per minute (matching a natural spontaneous pace). Participants follow identical rhythmic audio bell cues as the experimental group: a low tone for a 2.0-second inhalation and a high tone for a 2.0-second exhalation. All other instructions regarding nasal breathing, abdominal mechanics, and mindful attention are identical to the experimental group to ensure structural blinding. The intervention is performed twice: before and after the stress protocol

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Medical University of Bialystok

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

60 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2026-04-30

Primary Completion

2026-10-31

Completion

2026-11-30

Countries

• Poland

Study Locations