Athletic performance requires the pacing of breathing with exercise, known as motor-respiratory coordination (MRC). In this study, participants performed a MRC task that required intentional control of breathing locations during rhythmic arm movement in the sagittal plane. During performance, concurrent cognitive and physical constraints were added. This is the first study to examine a cognitive constraint on MRC. Cognitive constraints included either instruction regarding the MRC task (Experiments 1 & 2) or a signal detection task (Experiment 1). Physical constraints were non-optimal movement frequencies (Experiment 2). Instruction shifted breathing locations and both shifted and increased variability in the number of movement cycles produced per breath (frequency ratio). The signal detection task had no effect on MRC. Fast movement frequency resulted in higher, more variable frequency ratios. Combined effects of instruction and non-optimal movement frequency also shifted breathing location, indicating that cognitive and physical constraints can interact. Athletes should consider cognitive and physical constraints on their performance as those constraints could generate unnatural and variable breathing.

Abstract from:

Hessler, E. E. & Amazeen, P. G. (2009). Attentional demands on motor-respiratory coordination. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 80, 510-523.