A new study suggests that deliberately changing the pace of breathing can influence decision-making by altering the activity of both the heart and the brain. Researchers from the German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke (DIfE) and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin found that longer exhalations increased heart rate variability and made the brain more responsive to rewards, which was associated with bolder choices. The findings were published in Neuron.
Rapid breathing and an elevated heart rate are often related to quick decision making. Under pressure, people may become more cautious in an effort to avoid losses, whether they are making an investment, handling a tense work situation, or quickly choosing a meal. In contrast, slower breathing and a calmer cardiovascular state may encourage a more positive evaluation of potential outcomes and make people more willing to take risks.
How breathing connects the body and brain
Decision-making has traditionally been considered a process focused primarily on the brain. The new research examined a broader possibility: that signals from other parts of the body can change brain activity and influence the decisions people make.
The study was led by Prof. Soyoung Q Park in collaboration with researchers from institutions such as Charité Neuroscience Research Center – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin and the German Naval Institute for Maritime Medicine.
“Our decisions are rarely determined solely by external information. Rather, our judgment arises from the interaction between cognitive processes and our current bodily state. Until now it was not known how conscious regulation of our body, for example through targeted breathing, could actively control our decision-making process. We wanted to create a physiological change using a slow breathing pattern to change the quality of our decisions,” explains Soyoung Q Park, head of the Department of Decision Neuroscience and Nutrition at DIfE, summarizing the research question.
Test whether longer exhalations change decisions
The researchers studied 41 healthy participants as they made risky decisions under carefully controlled breathing conditions. Participants followed visual breathing instructions and breathed at their normal individual pace or slowed their breathing while extending the exhalation phase (inhalation-exhalation ratio of 2:8).
As participants completed a series of risk-related decisions, the research team measured various aspects of their physical and neurological responses. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to track brain activity, while at the same time breathing patterns, heart activity, skin conductance, and pupil responses were monitored.
This combination of measurements allowed the researchers to test whether extending the exhalation did more than just reduce heart rate. They also wanted to determine whether the breathing pattern directly changed the way the brain processed potential rewards.
A longer exhale shifted options toward reward
The results showed that prolonged exhalation decreased heart rate and was associated with riskier decisions. Importantly, the change appeared to come from greater attention to potential rewards rather than less concern about potential losses. Participants still reacted to the losses in similar ways.
The researchers also detected stronger activity in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and precuneus. These brain regions are involved in processing rewards and regulating the time between heartbeats, a measure known as heart rate variability.
“Our study thus underlines the transformative role of breathing-based interventions. The interaction between breathing and cardiac dynamics makes the brain more receptive to rewards,” explains lead author Wenhao Huang, interpreting the results.
What the findings could mean for breathing techniques
The work adds to a growing field focused on brain-body communication and supports neurovisceral models, which propose that a person’s physical state can strongly shape cognitive processes.
Park explains: “Breathing techniques have accompanied humanity for millennia in various religions and cultures. With this study, we provide scientific proof that it is a reliable and specific method capable of controlling our decisions.”
Because controlled breathing is simple, inexpensive and relatively easy to learn, researchers say it could have value as a tool for daily self-regulation. It may also have potential as a non-pharmacological supportive approach in clinical settings, particularly for conditions such as anxiety disorders or depression, which may involve altered autonomic regulation and altered responses to reward.
Could breathing influence eating behavior?
Future studies will be needed to determine whether the same effects appear in broader clinical populations, including overweight people. The researchers are particularly interested in whether breathing techniques could influence food-related decisions, since eating behavior is strongly affected by both reward processing and a person’s physical state.
“Since dietary decisions are strongly influenced by reward evaluation and fitness, specific regulation of breathing could also play a role in the conscious perception and more effective management of eating behavior,” summarizes Park for future research activities.
This study was supported by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space. [Grant 01GP2210C (DecEnt-Project), Grant 01EE2301E for the conceptual development of the German Center for Mental Health; Grant 82DZD03D03 (German Center for Diabetes Research)]Ministry of Science, Research and Culture of the Land of Brandenburg (MWFK). Ignacio Rebollo was supported by BRAINSTOM of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action (MSCA) (grant agreement no. 101028203).