title: The effects of unilateral forced nostril breathing on the heart.
abstract: Three experiments are described that employ impedance cardiography to monitor the effects of unilateral forced nostril breathing (UFNB) on the heart. Experiment 1 includes 7 subjects (4 males, 3 females) with a respiratory rate of 6 breaths/min (BPM). Experiment 2 includes 16 trials using one subject to examine the intraindividual variability, at 6 BPM. Experiment 3 includes 10 trials with the same subject in experiment 2, but with a respiratory rate of 2-3 breaths/s. This rapid rate of respiration is a yogic breathing technique called "breath of fire" or "kapalabhatti" and employs a very shallow but rapid breath in which the abdominal region acts like a bellows. All 3 experiments demonstrated that right UFNB increases heart rate (HR) compared to left. Experiment 1 gave 7 negative slopes, or lowering in HR with left nostril breathing and 7 positive slopes, or increases in HR with right nostril breathing, p = .001. The second and third experiments showed differences in HR means in which right UFNB increases HR more than left, p = .013, p = .001, respectively. In experiment 2 stroke volume was higher with left UFNB, p = .045, compensating for lower HR. Left UFNB increased end diastolic volume as measured in both experiments 1 and 2, p = .006, p = .001, respectively. These results demonstrate a unique unilateral effect on sympathetic stimulation of the heart that may have therapeutic value.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego 92103-8341.
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Shannahoff-Khalsa
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kennedy
mesh_terms: D000204:Activity Cycles / Q000502:physiology; D000328:Adult; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology; D002306:Cardiac Volume / Q000502:physiology; D003971:Diastole / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006321:Heart / Q000502:physiology*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009666:Nose / Q000502:physiology*; D012119:Respiration / Q000502:physiology*; D013318:Stroke Volume / Q000502:physiology; D015013:Yoga