Effects of Hypoxic Breathwork
Impacts of Rhythmic and Hypoxic Breathwork on EEG, Mood, Sleep, and Physiology
University of California, San Diego
75 participants
Jun 17, 2024
INTERVENTIONAL
Conditions
Summary
This project will study changes that occur during a short period of intensive daily slow-paced breathing and breath hold practice (i.e., "breathwork"). On the first and last days of the week-long practice, investigators will conduct high-density EEG recordings during breathwork to evaluate spectral power, coherence, and causality dynamics of the brain when it is naïve to breathwork and after adaptation to a breathwork practice. Breath, blood, urine, saliva, stool samples, biometric data, and sleep EEG will be collected before the start of daily breathwork practice and again after 1 week of breathwork practice to examine the effect of breathwork on full body biochemistry, molecular biology, and sleep. Investigators will also use questionnaires to assess the impact of breathwork on stress and sleep quality.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria6
- Persons, aged 18-45
- Availability for the duration of the study
- In good general health as revealed by self-report
- Stated willingness and capability to adhere to the breathwork regimen
- Agreement to adhere to Lifestyle Considerations (see section 5.3) throughout study duration
- Provision of signed and dated informed consent form
Exclusion Criteria7
- Current or past regular breathwork practice
- Current use of psychoactive medications (e.g., anti-depressants or anxiolytics)
- Pregnancy
- Bedtime past 11:30pm or regularly getting less than 6 hours of sleep per night.
- Feverish illness within 10 days
- Regular smoker or tobacco user ( > 1 cigarette, gum or pouch per month)
- Presence of blood pressure above 140 systolic and/or 90 diastolic, seizure disorder, asthma, or serious cardiac fibrillation disorders.
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Interventions
Hypoxic breathwork consists of about 5 min of rhythmic breathing in a 4-in/4-out pattern followed by a breath hold on the exhale for about 1-2 min. This is repeated 1-2 times with increasing breath rate up to 2-in/2-out. The audio track also includes dynamic music that accompanies the different stages as well as positive messaging encouraging self-determination.
Hypoxic breathwork consists of about 5 min of rhythmic breathing in a 4-in/4-out pattern followed by a breath hold on the exhale for about 1-2 min. This is repeated 1-2 times with increasing breath rate up to 2-in/2-out. Other than breathing instructions and pacing, the audio track is silent.
Music and messaging meditation consists of dynamic music that is engaging and aids focus, as well as positive messaging encouraging self-determination.
Locations(1)
View Full Details on ClinicalTrials.gov
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NCT06317259