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The effects of breathing on heart rate and heart rate variability were assessed in 6-, 8-, and ]0-year-old boys. Rate of breathing affected only heart rate variability, with faster breathing producing more stable heart rate. Replicating previous findings with adults, depth of breathing affected both heart rate and heart rate variability, with deep breathing producing the fastest, most variable heart rate. The absolute effects of the respiratory manipulations on heart rate variability were found to be greater for children than for adults, and there was also a developmental trend of both decreasing heart rate and variability. Implications of these findings for developmental studies using heart rate as a dependent measure are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effects of depth and rate of breathing on heart rate (HR) and HR variability were observed in two experiments. Respiration rate (RR) affected only cardiac stability, faster breathing producing more stable cardiac rate. Respiration depth (RD) affected both HR level and variability. Deep breathing produced faster, more variable HR, while shallow breathing had the opposite effects. A third experiment, in which Ss were trained to control HR using respiration, further illustrated the dramatic effects of respiration on cardiac rate. Implications of these results for experiments utilizing HR as a dependent variable and studies of autonomic control were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]