Publication in the journal Science in Sport and Exercise (Q2)
A team of employees of the Research and Development Center of Biomedical Photonics at Orel State University, St. Petersburg Institute of Oriental Rehabilitation Methods, SPE «LAZMA» Ltd. and Institute of Cell Biophysics of the Russian Academy of Sciences published an article "Effects of Voluntary Changes in Minute Ventilation on Microvascular Skin Blood Flow" (Frolov A.V., Loktionova Y.I., Zharkikh E.V., Sidorov V.V., Tankanag A.V., Dunaev A.V.) in the Journal of Science in Sport and Exercise (Q2, publisher: Springer Nature).
Full breathing, performed according to hatha yoga techniques, is actively using in the training process of athletes to increase resistance to hypoxia, as well as in the rehabilitation of patients after respiratory system diseases, including coronavirus infection. The published article is devoted to the study of the effect of such breathing exercises with a decrease and increase in the minute volume of breathing with corresponding changes in gas exchange on peripheral blood flow, spirometry and gas analysis in anatomically different areas: the skin of the forehead, fingers and toes.
It was found that 5-minute full breathing practices lead to similar changes in microcirculation parameters, namely, an increase in skin perfusion in all areas, as well as an increase in nutritive blood flow only in the extremities (fingers and toes). A decrease in the minute volume of respiration leads to an increase in the amplitudes of endothelial and neurogenic oscillations during the recovery period, but an increase in the minute volume of respiration leads to an increase in the amplitudes of neurogenic oscillations during the same period.
Studying the features of blood microcirculation during breathing exercises and their interrelation is useful both for obtaining fundamental knowledge about the delivery of oxygen to biological tissues under various breathing regimes, and for evaluating the effectiveness of breathing exercises in sports training and rehabilitation. Changes in lung ventilation and corresponding shifts in gas exchange affect the active mechanisms of regulation of blood microcirculation. This stimulation occurs through endothelial mechanisms with a decrease in the minute volume of respiration in hypoxia and hypercapnia, as well as neurogenic mechanisms with both increased and decreased ventilation of the lungs.
The research was carried out with the support of the Russian Science Foundation (project No. 23-25-00522).
Congratulations to our colleagues and our best wishes for success in new scientific research!
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s42978-023-00268-3