Comparative effects of three breathing techniques on heart rate variability, attention, reaction time, and anxiety in healthy adults: a randomized controlled trial

NCT ID NCT07810595

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By invitation only
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First seen Sep 09, 2026 · Last updated Sep 09, 2026

Summary

This randomized controlled trial compared the effects of Mindfulness Breathing, Box Breathing, and Nadi Shodhana Pranayama on heart rate variability, attention performance, reaction time, and anxiety in healthy adults aged 18-40 years. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three breathing intervention groups and practiced their assigned technique daily for six weeks. Primary outcomes included resting heart rate, RMSSD, and respiratory rate derived from 5-minute heart rate variability recordings. Secondary outcomes included attention performance assessed by the Digit Cancellation Test, reaction time assessed using the BlazePod system, and state and trait anxiety assessed using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Participants received standardized face-to-face instruction, home practice videos, and daily WhatsApp reminders throughout the intervention.

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Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

48 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Sep 2025

Finished

Jun 2026

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 to 40 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Healthy adults aged 18 to 40 years. * Ability to provide written informed consent. * Ownership of a smartphone with internet access. * Willingness to participate in daily breathing practice for six weeks. Exclusion Criteria: * Respiratory disease. * History of lung transplantation. * Pregnancy or suspected pregnancy. * Previous experience with yoga, Qigong, breath therapy, or other structured breathing practices.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Istanbul Atlas University

    Istanbul, Kagıthane, Turkey (Türkiye)

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