| Abstrakt: |
Diaphragmatic breathing control is an effective physical therapy intervention to alleviate breathing problems and dyspnea. This study examined the effect of diaphragmatic breathing on the immediate alterations of heart rate variability and blood pressure in overweight and obese female adolescents. Fifteen obese or overweight female adolescents were recruited into the study. All subjects' diaphragmatic breathing and spontaneous breathing were performed in a randomly assigned order. Blood pressure parameters were assessed with autonomic function measured via heart rate variability in the time domain (average RR interval, RR), root mean square of the standard deviation (RMSSD) and standard deviation 2 of the Poincaré plot (SD-2), the frequency domain (high frequency, HF), low frequency (LF), and the ratio of LF/HF. Compared with spontaneous breathing, average R-R interval, RMSSD, SD-2, HF, and LF were significantly greater during diaphragmatic breathing. There was no significant difference in the LF/HF ratio. Diaphragmatic breathing also produced a significant decrease in systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and mean arterial pressure. In conclusion, diaphragmatic breathing may be an effective tool to manage obesityrelated cardiovascular risk factors by improving cardiac autonomic function and reducing blood pressure in obese female adolescents. A possible mechanism is that diaphragmatic breathing could enhance parasympathetic nervous system activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
