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.
male or female participants,
age 18-35,
without chronic somatic diseases,
no current episode of psychiatric disorder (no active depression, mania, or psychosis),
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),
Crossover
Moderate-Intensity Physical Activity (PA)
BehavioralParticipants perform 15 minutes of stationary cycling at moderate intensity.
Breathing Training - Cyclic Sighing (CS)
BehavioralParticipants perform 15 minutes of cyclic sighing (a breathing technique).
Mean EEG spectral power in theta, alpha, low beta, high beta, gamma frequency bands during resting-state (eyes-open and eyes-closed)
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)
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.
Mean EEG spectral power in theta, alpha, low beta, high beta, and gamma frequency bands during N-back task
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
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)
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)
Working memory assessed using N-back test with Emotiv app.
Psychological Well-Being measured with the Short Version of Ryff's Psychological Well-Being Scale
Participants complete the Short Version of Ryff's Psychological Well-Being Scale, a self-reported questionnaire assessing psychological well-being across multiple dimensions. Items are rated on a scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 6 (strongly agree), giving a total possible score range of 18-108, where higher scores indicate higher levels of psychological well-being.
Trait Mindfulness measured with the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS)
Participants complete the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), a self-reported questionnaire measuring trait mindfulness. Items are rated on a scale from 1 (almost always) to 6 (almost never), with total scores ranging from 15 to 90. Higher scores indicate higher levels of trait mindfulness.
Coping with Stress measured with the Brief COPE Inventory (mini-COPE)
Participants complete the Brief COPE Inventory (mini-COPE), a self-reported questionnaire assessing coping strategies and stress management. Each item is rated on a scale from 1 (I haven't been doing this at all) to 4 (I've been doing this a lot), with total subscale scores ranging from 2 to 8, depending on the subscale. Higher scores indicate greater use of the specific coping strategy.
Chronotype measured with the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ)
Participants complete the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ) to assess chronotype, indicating morningness-eveningness preference. Items are scored to give a total score ranging from 16 to 86, where higher scores indicate greater morningness and lower scores indicate greater eveningness.
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