Research Symposium

BIO

I am a first-generation college student from Miami, FL, currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry with hopes of graduating in 2024 and going on to attend an MD-PhD program. My research interest includes understanding the biochemical mechanisms that underlie human physiological processes. My curiosity in this topic arose after being diagnosed with a chronic auto-immune disease which led me to explore and appreciate all aspects of the human body. Research has given me the opportunity to understand more about my condition and help others do the same. I've always enjoyed challenges that push me beyond surface-level thinking when reaching a conclusion, and clinical research has provided me with the opportunity to do just that.

Comparing Heart Rate Variability Metrics Between Nasal and Oral Breathing

Abstract

It is known that the cardiovascular system can be affected by different breathing patterns. However, the effects of oral breathing versus nose breathing on heart rate variability (HRV) at rest and during exercise are not completely understood. HRV is the variation in time between each heartbeat and is controlled by the autonomic nervous system. We hypothesized that nasal versus oral breathing would have a superior HRV profile (e.g., less sympathetic dominance). The measures included in this investigation included Low-Frequency Power (LF%) (<0.04 – 0.15Hz), High-Frequency Power (HF%) (0.15 – 0.40 Hz), and our time domain measure included standard deviation of the R-R intervals (SDRR). In this investigation, eleven healthy participants (18.27 ± 0.47 years; males N=5, females N=6) were asked to change their breathing from free breathing to only mouth or nose breathing (randomized order) while at rest or performing a submaximal exercise on a stationary semi-recumbent cycle (75 watts). Breathing rate was maintained using a metronome calibrated to breaths per minute during rest and submaximal exercise during free breathing “run-in” periods. Our preliminary results included a significant increase in LF% during mouth-breathing submaximal exercise (p=0.024), but not at rest (p=0.577). However, no discernable differences for HF% (p>0.05) or SDRR (p>0.05) were observed between breathing methods during rest or exercise. The increase during nose breathing in LF% indicates that there is greater cardiac stress and activation of the sympathetic nervous system during mouth breathing.

Keywords: HRV, Mouth Breathing, Nose Breathing, Mouth Breathing