Well known as an anti-stress method, cardiac coherence, rhythmic breathing, also seems to be useful against chronic pain, addictions and to sleep better according to recent studies.
Spontaneously, most people breathe between 12 and 20 cycles per minute. Cardiac consistency is a state of harmony of vital functions induced by a slower respiratory rate: 6 inspirations/expirations per minute (i.e. an inspiration/expiration every 10 seconds).
Better cardiac variability
We are talking about cardiac coherence because this breathing method makes it possible to go from the initial chaos of heart rate at rest to a more harmonious curve, as we can see on this diagram:
The heart then entered consistency. But breathing according to 6 cycles per minute also makes it possible to increase the variability of the heart rate (VFC), that is to say the variation in the duration of the time interval separating 2 consecutive heart beats. Significant variations in heart rate are synonymous with the balance and adaptability of the autonomous nervous system and in particular sympathetic systems (whose role is to prepare the body to respond to stress) and parasympathetic (whose role is to slow down the functions of the organism to promote relaxation).
A weak VFC is an indicator of the difficulties of the body to adapt, especially to stress.
Like meditation, cardiac coherence has beneficial effects against stress, attested by various studies. But this form of breathing has other therapeutic applications, as evidenced by recent studies.
The benefits of cardiac coherence go through the vagus nerve
Cardiac coherence which consists in breathing deeply and synchronized improves cardiovascular functioning, brain executive functions and stress management. However, the mechanisms underlying these effects are multiple and complex. The reduction in respiratory frequency to the resonance frequency (~ 0.1 Hz) improves the variability of the heart rate via in particular the activation of the vagus nerve (1). In the brain, blood flow and oxygen intake are increased, which could be the cause of the central profits of cardiac coherence.
Reason 1: It reduces chronic pain
In a review of studies published in Nursing Bread Managementthe effects of cardiac coherence have been evaluated in cases of chronic pain and in particular for fibromyalgia (2).
Results : This breathing technique has been effective overall to reduce pain (by stress management mechanisms in particular) and increase the variability of heart rate (reduced variability in patients with fibromyalgia, who thus resist stress less well and have less good emotional adaptability). Cardiac consistency has also increased vitality and has reduced physical limitations, depression and fear of being badly moving.
Read: anti-inflammatory breathing (subscribers)
Reason 2: It helps to better manage addictions
During the first year of addiction treatment (sugar, alcohol, tobacco, drugs, etc.), a relapse occurs in 50 % to 70 % of cases. We now know that combinations of pharmacological and behavioral interventions are more effective than a unique approach in terms of long -term recovery. Behavioral approaches, such as cardiac coherence, are advantageous because the state of lack is modulated by physiological and cognitive processes.
In an analysis including 8 studies, cardiac coherence has been studied in addition to treatments to manage the state of lack linked to various substances (food, alcohol, nicotine, cocaine, etc.). The largest effect was observed in people with food addictions, using the longest training time for cardiac coherence, 240 minutes weekly (or about 30 minutes per day) for 8 weeks (3).
This result recalls those observed in studies on emotional pounds or weight management by cardiac coherence.
Reason 3: It improves sleep
Cardiac consistency can help reduce the state of hyperexcitation which accompanies many sleep disorders. It acts by stimulating the parasympathetic system and more specifically the vagus nerve.
In a study, 64 people aged 18 to 29 in good health and without sleep problem, were divided into two groups: the intervention group practiced heart consistency for 15 minutes before sleeping using an application (4). As for the control group, the instruction was to use social networks 15 minutes before sleeping by practicing spontaneous breathing.
The two groups were subjected to several tests to assess the quality of their sleep before and after experience: the Vagal tone (morning and evening), the time spent in bed, respiratory frequency and index of sleep quality (PSQI).
Cardiac consistency seems to have allowed the intervention group to improve subjective sleep on the one hand with the PSQI test, but also to increase the night and morning vagal tone. These results suggest beneficial effects of cardiac coherence in the cardiovascular function and sleep.
