TAP reading note: Effects of voluntary slow breathing on heart rate and heart rate variability: A systematic review and a meta-analysis

What the study found

RMSSD increased during breathing practice, immediately after a session and after repeated sessions. The measurement time matters; an increase during practice does not establish lasting recovery.

Scope & limitations

223 studies; timing categories overlap and are not independent study totals.

Most studies had high risk of bias; heterogeneity and incomplete reporting constrain interpretation. This is not a head-to-head ranking of breathing methods.

Population & sample

223 studies; timing categories overlap and are not independent study totals.

Exposure or intervention

Voluntary breathing below ten cycles/minute versus a faster-breathing control condition.

Outcomes

HRV and heart rate, separated by measurement time.

Time frame

During, immediately after one session and after a multisession intervention.

Research funding

Authors reported no funding source.

Research conflicts of interest

Authors declared no conflicts of interest.

Reading scope

Solent-hosted accepted manuscript: methods, main results, risk of bias and declarations. Supplementary analyses were not reproduced.

• Accepted manuscript at Solent University ↗

References

1. Sylvain Laborde et al. (2022). Effects of voluntary slow breathing on heart rate and heart rate variability: A systematic review and a meta-analysis. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104711

Publication record

TAP-RDN-0077 · v1.0 · English

Author: TAP Editorial Team ·

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