Stress
Conditions
Brief summary
This study investigates the effects of moderate physical exercise and cyclic sighing (breathing training) on stress, cognition, and physiological markers in young adults. It is a randomized cross-over trial with two interventions. Each participant will take part in two intervention sessions: 1. Moderate-intensity physical activity (PA): 15 minutes of stationary cycling at 65-75% of maximum heart rate (HRmax). 2. Breathing training (CS): 15 minutes of cyclic sighing, a technique involving inhaling, pausing briefly, taking a deeper breath, and exhaling slowly. A one-week washout period between sessions is planned to minimise carry-over effects and to ensure participants' physiological state is similar before the next session. During this week, participants will wear Polar Ignite wrist-worn devices to monitor physical activity and sleep. A total of 30 participants (you adults) will be enrolled. Measurements performed before and after each intervention include: * EEG using Emotiv EPOC Flex Gel (32-channel device): 2 minutes with eyes open, 2 minutes with eyes closed, during the interventions, and while performing cognitive test (N-back). * Heart rate variability (HRV) using the Polar H10 sensor. * SUDS - Subjective Units of Disress Scale for perceived stress. * N-back test for cognitive performance using Emotiv App. * Blood pressure (systolic and diastolic) and heart rate. * Pain threshold measured with a dolorimeter. * PANAS-SF - Positive and Negative Affect Schedule. Baseline questionnaires completed by participants the day before the study: * PSS-10 - Perceived Stress Scale (Cohen, Kamarck, Mermelstein). * MAAS - Mindful Attention Awareness Scale * Psychological well-being - short version * Mini-COPE - Coping with Stress Inventory * Sleep quality and average sleep duration * Chronotype questionnaire (morningness-eveningness) * GPAQ - Global Physical Activity Questionnaire * Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index The study aims to understand how brief interventions like moderate exercise and breathing techniques affect stress, cognitive performance, and physiological responses in young adults.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALModerate-Intensity Physical Activity (PA)
Participants perform 15 minutes of stationary cycling at moderate intensity.
BEHAVIORALBreathing Training - Cyclic Sighing (CS)
Participants perform 15 minutes of cyclic sighing (a breathing technique).
Sponsors
Poznan University of Physical Education
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
CROSSOVER
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 35 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* male or female participants, * age 18-35, * without chronic somatic diseases, * no current episode of psychiatric disorder (no active depression, mania, or psychosis), * regular sleep schedule in the week prior to the study, * not taking psychotropic drugs or medications, * non-smoker, * not working nightshifts.
Exclusion criteria
* consumption of alcohol or psychoactive substances the day before or on the day of the study, * intense physical activity less than 2 hours before the study, * consuming coffee, black tee, energy drinks less than 2 hours before the study, * contraindications to moderate-intensity physical activity on cycle ergometer (e.g., recent injuries), * contraindications to EEG (e.g., scalp skin conditions preventing proper electrode placement, hypersensitivity to conductive gels or pastes).
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Mean EEG spectral power in theta, alpha, low beta, high beta, gamma frequency bands during resting-state (eyes-open and eyes-closed) | Baseline: immediately before intervention; Post-intervention: immediately after completion of the intervention period | Mean spectral power in theta, alpha, low beta, high beta, and gamma frequency bands derived from resting-state EEG recordings collected during eyes-open and eyes-closed conditions. Spectral power will be calculated separately for eyes-open and eyes-closed resting-state conditions. |
| Heart Rate Variability (HRV) | Baseline (average over 5-minute resting-state immediately before intervention); During intervention (average over entire session, periprocedural); Post-intervention (average over 5-minute resting-state immediately after intervention). | HRV will be recorded at three time points. Baseline HRV will be calculated as the average over a 5-minute resting-state period immediately before intervention. HRV during the intervention will be calculated as the average over the entire intervention session (periprocedural). Post-intervention HRV will be calculated as the average over a 5-minute resting-state period immediately after intervention. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Mean EEG spectral power in theta, alpha, low beta, high beta, and gamma frequency bands during N-back task | Baseline (during N-back task immediately before each intervention session, periprocedural); Post-intervention (during N-back task immediately after each intervention session, periprocedural) | Mean spectral power in theta, alpha, low beta, high beta, and gamma frequency bands derived from EEG recordings collected during performance of the N-back cognitive task. Spectral power will be calculated separately for each frequency band and averaged across all EEG channels. |
| Mean EEG spectral power in theta, alpha, low beta, high beta, and gamma frequency bands during intervention session | During intervention session (periprocedural, averaged over entire session) | Mean spectral power in theta, alpha, low beta, high beta, and gamma frequency bands derived from EEG recordings collected during the intervention session. Spectral power will be calculated separately for each frequency band and averaged across all EEG channels. |
| Perceived Stress measured with the Subjective Units of Distress Scale (SUDS) | Baseline: immediately before each intervention session; Post-intervention: immediately after each intervention session | Participants rate their perceived stress using the Subjective Units of Distress Scale (SUDS), a self-reported scale ranging from 0 (no stress) to 100 (extreme stress), where higher scores indicate higher perceived stress. |
| Cognitive Performance (N-back) | Baseline: immediately before each intervention session; Post-intervention: immediately after each intervention session | Working memory assessed using N-back test with Emotiv app. |
| Blood Pressure | Baseline: immediately before each intervention session; Post-intervention: immediately after each intervention session | Systolic and diastolic blood pressure measured using standard protocols. |
| Pain Threshold | Baseline: immediately before each intervention session; Post-intervention: immediately after each intervention session | Pain threshold measured using a dolorimeter (algorimeter) |
| Positive and Negative Affect measured with the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule - Short Form (PANAS-SF) | Baseline: immediately before each intervention session; Post-intervention: immediately after each intervention session | Participants complete the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule - Short Form (PANAS-SF), a self-reported scale assessing positive and negative affect. Each subscale contains 10 items rated from 1 (very slightly or not at all) to 5 (extremely), giving a possible score range of 10-50 for each subscale. Higher scores indicate higher levels of positive or negative affect, depending on the subscale. |
| Heart Rate | Baseline: immediately before each intervention session; Post-intervention: immediately after each intervention session | Heart rate measured using standard protocols. |
Countries
Poland
Contacts
CONTACTBeata Jóźwiak
STUDY_DIRECTORIda Laudańska-Krzemińska
Poznan University of Physical Education
Outcome results
None listed