Effects of Short-Term Breathwork on Respiration and Cognition
bioRxiv November 17, 2025 Lena Hehemann, Lisa Stetza, Christoph Kayser preprint
Even one minute of structured breathing can temporarily improve reaction times on a subsequent cognitive task, though it does not change accuracy. In two experiments, participants performed slow or fast breathing, or manipulated their inhalation-exhalation ratio, before a visual emotion discrimination task. Each breathing technique produced distinct, short-lived changes in respiratory patterns after the practice ended. While emotion discrimination accuracy and reaction times did not differ between breathing techniques, all practices led to a brief speeding of responses compared to baseline. This suggests that brief, voluntary control of respiration can transiently enhance attentional or sensorimotor readiness.