Editorial Type:
Article Category: Research Article
 | 
Online Publication Date: May 14, 2024

SPECIAL ISSUE: Slow-Paced Contraction: An Evidence-Based Method for Increasing Heart Rate Variability

PhD, BCB, BCB-HRV and
MA
Page Range: 11 – 17
DOI: 10.5298/486862
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Slow-paced muscle contraction (SPC) is an easily learned method for increasing heart rate variability (HRV). SPC provides an alternative to slow-paced breathing (SPB) in clinical and optimal performance applications. SPB can be challenging (e.g., chronic pain), anatomically impossible (e.g., phrenic nerve damage), or medically contraindicated (e.g., diabetes and kidney disease). SPC may be especially helpful for clients who breathe dysfunctionally or who cannot slow their breathing to the resonance frequency (RF) range. The RF is an individual’s unique stimulation rate that maximally increases HRV. Wrist-core-ankle SPC increases several HRV metrics more than only contracting the wrists and ankles. Preliminary evidence suggests that combining wrist-ankle SPC with SPB may increase HRV more than either method alone.

Keywords: heart rate variability; slow-paced breathing; slow-paced contraction
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Copyright: ©Association for Applied Psychophysiology & Biofeedback
Figure 1.
Figure 1.

Bottom left: Lung and muscle icons indicate that SPB and SPC, alone or together, can stimulate the HR baroreflex ∼6 bpm/cpm. Bottom right: the muscle icon signals that SPC can activate the vascular tone (VT) baroreflex ∼2 cpm. Adapted from Vaschillo et al., 2002.

Figure 2.
Figure 2.

Respiratory sinus arrhythmia. The upper waveform represents the breathing cycle, and the bottom signals are heartbeats. Adapted with permission from Elite Academy,

Figure 3.
Figure 3.

Effects of inhalation on HR. Inspired by Richard Gevirtz.

Figure 4.
Figure 4.

Effects of exhalation on HR. Adapted with permission from Evgeny Vaschillo.

Figure 5.
Figure 5.

Changes in HR and BP produced by breathing. The bottom line represents respiration; upper black bars represent inhalation, and lower black bars represent exhalation. The following lines represent HR and BP.

Figure 6.
Figure 6.

The smaller waveform shows HR oscillations while resting without breathing instructions or feedback. The larger waveform shows HR oscillations with HRV biofeedback and breathing at 4.5–6.5 bpm. Adapted with permission from Evgeny Vaschillo.

Figure 7.
Figure 7.

Animated pacing display.

Figure 8.
Figure 8.

ECG sensor placement: chest.

Figure 9.
Figure 9.

ECG sensor placement: lower torso.

Figure 10.
Figure 10.

PPG sensor placement: earlobe. Courtesy of the Institute of HeartMath.

Figure 11.
Figure 11.

Contraction of wrist, core, and feet.

Contributor Notes

Correspondence: Fred Shaffer, PhD, BCB, BCB-HRV, Truman State University, Kirksville, MO 63501, email: fredricshaffer@gmail.com