Hypoxic Breathwork Effects Study

Overseen By Julie Onton, PhD

Age: 18 - 65

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of California, San Diego

Must not be taking: Psychoactive medications

Disqualifiers: Pregnancy, Smoking, Hypertension, Asthma, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 1

75 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial explores how a week of hypoxic breathwork (breathing exercises with controlled breath-holding) affects stress, sleep quality, and overall body chemistry. Participants will be divided into groups to try different combinations: breathwork with music and messaging, breathwork alone, or just music and messaging. Researchers will use brain scans and collect samples like blood and saliva to assess the impact on the body and mind. Individuals in good general health, who sleep well, and can adhere to the breathwork routine are ideal candidates for this study. As an unphased trial, this study allows participants to contribute to foundational research that could enhance stress management and sleep quality techniques.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

If you are currently using psychoactive medications like anti-depressants or anxiolytics, you cannot participate in this trial. The protocol does not specify about other medications, so it's best to discuss with the trial team.

Is there any evidence suggesting that this trial's treatments are likely to be safe?

Research shows that hypoxic breathwork, which involves breathing with less oxygen, is generally safe for healthy individuals. Studies on a similar method, intermittent hypoxic training, have found no major negative effects. Participants in these studies typically did not report serious problems. However, these results are based on studies with healthy individuals. Those with health concerns should consult a doctor before joining a trial. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the Hypoxic Breathwork Effects Study because it explores innovative ways to enhance mental and physical well-being through breathwork combined with music and messaging. Unlike traditional treatments that might rely on medication or therapy, this method investigates how controlled breathing, paired with soothing music and positive messaging, might influence brain activity and overall health. By measuring brain activity through EEG caps during these sessions, the study hopes to uncover new insights into how these non-invasive techniques can improve mental clarity, reduce stress, and potentially offer a natural alternative to existing therapies.

What evidence suggests that this trial's treatments could be effective for stress and sleep quality?

Research has shown that hypoxic breathwork can enhance various body functions. This technique involves controlled breathing and breath-holding. Studies have found it can boost heart and lung health and may benefit individuals with mild chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a lung condition. It is also associated with better stress management and improved sleep quality. In this trial, participants will join different treatment arms: breathwork combined with music and messaging, breathwork only, or music and messaging only. The practice is generally considered safe and easy, offering a promising way to improve overall health. ^{1 2 4 6 7}

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for healthy individuals aged 18-35 who can commit to the study's duration, agree to lifestyle considerations, and are willing to follow a breathwork regimen. They must provide consent and be in good health as per self-report.

Inclusion Criteria

I am available for the entire study period.

I agree to follow specific lifestyle guidelines during the study.

I am willing and able to follow the breathing exercise plan.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

1-2 weeks

Baseline

Collection of baseline data including breath, blood, urine, saliva, stool samples, biometric data, and sleep EEG

1 week

1 visit (in-person)

Intervention

Participants engage in daily breathwork practice with EEG recordings on the first and last days

7-14 days

Daily sessions (in-person)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in physiological, biochemical, and molecular biological responses post-intervention

1 week

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Hypoxic Breathwork

Trial Overview

The study examines how intensive daily slow-paced breathing and breath hold practices (breathwork) affect brain activity, body biochemistry, stress levels, and sleep quality. Participants will undergo EEG recordings and provide various biological samples before and after a week of practice.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Breathwork, music, messaging Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Subjects will perform a 40 min initial breathwork/music/messaging session with a full EEG cap followed by 7 or 14 days of once daily practice of a 20 min breathwork/music/messaging session. At the end of 7 or 14 days, they will again perform the 40 min breathwork/music/messaging session with a full EEG cap.

Group II: Breathwork only Active Control 1 Intervention

Subjects will perform a 40 min initial breathwork only session with a full EEG cap followed by 7 or 14 days of once daily practice of a 20 min breathwork only session. At the end of 7 or 14 days, they will again perform the 40 min breathwork only session with a full EEG cap.

Group III: Music and messaging Active Control 1 Intervention

Subjects will perform a 40 min initial music/messaging session with a full EEG cap followed by 7 or 14 days of once daily practice of a 20 min music/messaging session. At the end of 7 or 14 days, they will again perform the 40 min music/messaging session with a full EEG cap.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of California, San Diego

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1,215

Recruited

1,593,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

In a study involving 14 healthy active subjects, intermittent hypoxic (IH) conditioning led to increased minute ventilation and improved heart rate variability compared to sustained hypoxic (SH) conditioning, suggesting it may be more beneficial for cardiovascular adaptations.

Both SH and IH resulted in decreased muscle and pre-frontal cortex oxygenation, but SH caused a greater reduction in pre-frontal oxygenation and a more significant increase in sympathetic activity, indicating different physiological responses to these hypoxic interventions.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Physiological Responses to Two Hypoxic Conditioning Strategies in Healthy Subjects. Chacaroun, S., Borowik, A., Morrison, SA., et al.[2020]

Intermittent hypoxic training (IHT) has been shown to improve several health markers in COPD patients, including increased exercise capacity and lung function, making it a promising therapeutic strategy for this group.

Currently, there is no strong evidence that IHT provides health benefits for patients with bronchial asthma, indicating a need for further research to explore its potential in this area.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Role of intermittent hypoxia in the treatment of bronchial asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Vogtel, M., Michels, A.[2016]

Intermittent hypoxic breathing (IHR) and intermittent hypoxic training (IHT) significantly reduced systolic blood pressure (SBP) in hypertensive patients over a 6-week period, with reductions of up to 13 mmHg observed post-intervention.

Both IHR and IHT increased levels of nitric oxide metabolites (NOx) and hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α), suggesting that these interventions may improve hypertension through enhanced production of these beneficial compounds.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Hypoxic training improves blood pressure, nitric oxide and hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha in hypertensive patients. Muangritdech, N., Hamlin, MJ., Sawanyawisuth, K., et al.[2021]

Normobaric interval hypoxic training (IHT) is a promising non-drug treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) that can help prevent and manage the condition without causing side effects or complications.

A deeper understanding of how IHT works could enhance its effectiveness in treating COPD and help tailor the therapy to minimize risks associated with hypoxic treatments.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

[Effectiveness of hypoxic therapy in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease]. Borukaeva, IKh.[2013]

Training with intermittent breath holding (IBH) for 16 weeks significantly improved respiratory parameters in fin-swimming athletes, including forced expired volume (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), and peak expiratory flow (PEF), compared to a self-selected breathing frequency group.

IBH also led to greater performance improvements in 50 m and 400 m swimming tests, suggesting that the increased load on respiratory muscles from IBH enhances athletic performance, despite a decrease in arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2) likely due to hypoventilation adaptation.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Changes in Respiratory Parameters and Fin-Swimming Performance Following a 16-Week Training Period with Intermittent Breath Holding. Stavrou, V., Toubekis, AG., Karetsi, E.[2020]

Intermittent hypoxia training (IHT) is safe and well-tolerated in healthy men aged 60 to 74, with no negative ECG changes observed during sustained hypoxia.

IHT significantly improved blood pressure, work capacity, and microvascular function in untrained men, while having no notable effects on trained individuals, indicating its potential benefits for enhancing cardiovascular health in older adults.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effects of intermittent hypoxia training on exercise performance, hemodynamics, and ventilation in healthy senior men. Shatilo, VB., Korkushko, OV., Ischuk, VA., et al.[2016]

Normobaric intermittent hypoxic training (IHT) significantly improves the functional respiratory system and aerobic performance in highly qualified athletes by alternating periods of hypoxia and normoxia, enhancing oxygen delivery and utilization.

IHT is advantageous over traditional hypoxic training in mountain conditions because it allows for recovery periods that prevent the simultaneous stress of exercise-induced hypoxia, leading to better overall respiratory function and physical capacity without the destructive effects of combined hypoxia.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

[Hypoxic training of high qualification sportsmen]. Radziievs'kiĭ, PO., Radziievs'ka, MP.[2013]

Intermittent hypoxic training (IHT) significantly improved hypoxic ventilatory responses (HVR) in healthy males, with increases of 70-200% depending on the severity of hypoxia, indicating enhanced respiratory efficiency during low oxygen conditions.

The 15-day IHT regimen also led to a notable increase in lung ventilation and gas exchange, demonstrating its potential benefits for both athletic training and possibly for treating certain diseases related to oxygen deficiency.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Intermittent hypoxia alters hypoxic ventilatory responses. Serebrovskaya, TV., Swanson, RJ., Karaban, IN., et al.[2016]

Respiratory muscle training (RMT) has been shown to reduce respiratory muscle fatigue and improve respiratory efficiency during exercise in hypoxic conditions, based on a review of seven studies involving healthy subjects over 4 to 8 weeks.

While RMT did not increase maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), it helped maintain oxygen saturation and blood flow to muscles, making it a beneficial pre-exposure tool for athletes to adapt to hypoxia and minimize adverse effects from hyperventilation.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Putative Role of Respiratory Muscle Training to Improve Endurance Performance in Hypoxia: A Review. Álvarez-Herms, J., Julià-Sánchez, S., Corbi, F., et al.[2020]

Citations

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pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9254677/

Intermittent Hypoxic Training as an Effective Tool for ...

The accumulated data indicate that a “low dose” of hypoxic training can be a simple, safe, and effective method with significant therapeutic ...

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clinicaltrials.ucsd.edu

clinicaltrials.ucsd.edu/trial/NCT06317259

Effects of Hypoxic Breathwork - UCSD Clinical Trials

This project will study changes that occur during a short period of intensive daily slow-paced breathing and breath hold practice (ie, breathwork).

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withpower.com

withpower.com/trial/phase-hypoxia-2-2024-4160f

Hypoxic Breathwork Effects Study

This project will study changes that occur during a short period of intensive daily slow-paced breathing and breath hold practice (i.e., "breathwork").

4.

breathlessexpeditions.com

breathlessexpeditions.com/breath-training-and-hypoxic-training/

Breathwork and Hypoxic Training

Researchers interested in freediving have uncovered a host of benefits of breath holding and a lower blood oxygen saturation.

5.

medsci.org

medsci.org/v20p1551.htm

Intermittent Hypoxia Conditioning: A Potential Multi-Organ ...

Interval hypoxic training improves autonomic cardiovascular and respiratory control in patients with mild chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. J Hypertens ...

6.

mdpi.com

mdpi.com/2077-0383/13/2/380

The Impact of Intermittent Hypoxic Training on Aerobic ...

The results of this pilot study suggest, that hypoxic training can be effective for weight reduction and improving the aerobic capacity in obese women.

7.

sciencedirect.com

sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0753332224011594

Assessing the importance and safety of hypoxia ...

This review delves into the pathophysiology of hypoxia and the safety of intermittent hypoxic conditioning (IHC) in OPD patients.