Increasing Plasma Adrenaline Levels Through Breathing Techniques

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

40 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2014-11-30

Study Completion Date

2015-10-31

Brief Summary

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Inflammatory cytokines play a pivotal role in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and innovative non-pharmacological therapies aimed at limiting cytokine production are highly warranted. Adrenaline, a neurotransmitter of the autonomic sympathetic nervous system, attenuates cytokine production. Along these lines, endogenous modulation of sympathetic activity could limit inflammation and therefore represent a treatment modality that would empower RA patients to exert self-control over disease activity. However, both the autonomic nervous system and the inflammatory response are regarded as systems that cannot be voluntarily influenced. Nevertheless, results from two recent studies demonstrate that this is possible through techniques developed by 'iceman' Wim Hof, namely meditation, exposure to cold, and breathing exercises. Hof himself and healthy volunteers trained by him were able to voluntarily activate the sympathetic nervous system, resulting in adrenaline release and subsequent suppression of the inflammatory response during experimental human endotoxemia (a model of systemic inflammation elicited by administration of lipopolysaccharide \[LPS\] in healthy volunteers). Interestingly, while having been taught all three techniques, during the endotoxemia experiment the trained subjects (like Hof himself) predominantly practiced the breathing exercises consisting of two different techniques. A 'hyper/hypoventilation' technique, characterized by cycles of hyperventilation followed by breath retention and a 'strength ventilation' technique consisting of deep inhalations and exhalations followed by breath holding. These techniques resulted in intermittent hypoxia and cyclic shifts in acid-base balance. Based on these observations and previous studies, the investigators hypothesize that these breathing techniques account for the increased production of adrenaline and thus for the suppressed inflammatory response but it is unclear which of these two techniques is most important.

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Detailed Description

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The main objective of the study is to compare the increase in plasma adrenaline levels during the two different breathing techniques in a group of healthy volunteers trained by Hof. Also, the investigators investigate whether it is necessary to be trained by Hof and if a relatively short instruction instead of the extensive training is sufficient. Additionally, the investigators want to evaluate the influence of the training and breathing techniques on pain thresholds.

Conditions

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Autoimmune Diseases

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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HTR

The 'Hoftraining' group (HTR): a group of subjects (n=10) that will be trained extensively by mr. Hof and his team in both hyper/hypoventilation and strength ventilation breathing techniques. Total time training is 8 days.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Hyper/hypoventilation

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Subjects are asked to hyperventilate for an average of 30 breaths. Subsequently, the subjects exhaled and hold their breath for approximately 2 minutes ("retention phase"). The duration of breath retention will be entirely at the discretion of the subject himself. Breath retention is followed by a deep inhalation breath, that will be held for 10 s. Subsequently a new cycle of hyper/hypoventilation begins.

Strength ventilation

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

This exercise consists of deep inhalations and exhalations in which every inhalation and exhalation is followed by breath holding for 10 s, during which the subject tightens all his body muscles.

EIN

The 'extensive instruction' group (EIN): a group of subjects (n=10) that will receive an extensive instruction course supervised by the research team (in absence of Mr. Hof) in both hyper/hypoventilation and strength ventilation breathing techniques.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Hyper/hypoventilation

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Subjects are asked to hyperventilate for an average of 30 breaths. Subsequently, the subjects exhaled and hold their breath for approximately 2 minutes ("retention phase"). The duration of breath retention will be entirely at the discretion of the subject himself. Breath retention is followed by a deep inhalation breath, that will be held for 10 s. Subsequently a new cycle of hyper/hypoventilation begins.

Strength ventilation

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

This exercise consists of deep inhalations and exhalations in which every inhalation and exhalation is followed by breath holding for 10 s, during which the subject tightens all his body muscles.

STR

The 'short training' group (STR): a group of subjects (n=10) that will receive only a short training of 1 hour (immediately prior to the study) by Mr. Hof and his team in both hyper/hypoventilation and strength ventilation breathing techniques.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Hyper/hypoventilation

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Subjects are asked to hyperventilate for an average of 30 breaths. Subsequently, the subjects exhaled and hold their breath for approximately 2 minutes ("retention phase"). The duration of breath retention will be entirely at the discretion of the subject himself. Breath retention is followed by a deep inhalation breath, that will be held for 10 s. Subsequently a new cycle of hyper/hypoventilation begins.

Strength ventilation

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

This exercise consists of deep inhalations and exhalations in which every inhalation and exhalation is followed by breath holding for 10 s, during which the subject tightens all his body muscles.

SIN

The 'short instruction' group (SIN): a group of subjects (n=10) that will receive no training, but only an short instruction course of 1 hour (immediately prior to the study) supervised by the research team (in absence of Mr. Hof) in both hyper/hypoventilation and strength ventilation breathing techniques.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Hyper/hypoventilation

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Subjects are asked to hyperventilate for an average of 30 breaths. Subsequently, the subjects exhaled and hold their breath for approximately 2 minutes ("retention phase"). The duration of breath retention will be entirely at the discretion of the subject himself. Breath retention is followed by a deep inhalation breath, that will be held for 10 s. Subsequently a new cycle of hyper/hypoventilation begins.

Strength ventilation

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

This exercise consists of deep inhalations and exhalations in which every inhalation and exhalation is followed by breath holding for 10 s, during which the subject tightens all his body muscles.

Interventions

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Hyper/hypoventilation

Subjects are asked to hyperventilate for an average of 30 breaths. Subsequently, the subjects exhaled and hold their breath for approximately 2 minutes ("retention phase"). The duration of breath retention will be entirely at the discretion of the subject himself. Breath retention is followed by a deep inhalation breath, that will be held for 10 s. Subsequently a new cycle of hyper/hypoventilation begins.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Strength ventilation

This exercise consists of deep inhalations and exhalations in which every inhalation and exhalation is followed by breath holding for 10 s, during which the subject tightens all his body muscles.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Age ≥18 and ≤35 yrs
* Male
* Healthy

Exclusion Criteria

* Experience with the methods of Wim Hof or other breathing techniques
* Use of any medication
* Smoking
* Use of recreational drugs within 21 days prior to the experiment day
* Use of caffeine or alcohol within 1 day prior to the experimental day.
* Surgery or trauma with significant blood loss or blood donation within 3 months prior to the experimental day.
* Participation in another clinical trial within 3 months prior to the experimental day.
* History, signs, or symptoms of cardiovascular disease
* History of atrial or ventricular arrhythmia
* Hypertension (RR systolic \>160 or RR diastolic \>90)
* Hypotension (RR systolic \<100 or RR diastolic \<50)
* Conduction abnormalities on the ECG consisting of a 1st degree atrioventricular block or a complex bundle branch block
* History of asthma, or any other pulmonary disease
* C reactive protein (CRP) \> 20 mg/L, White blood count (WBC) \> 12x109/L, or clinically significant acute illness, including infections, within 4 weeks before the experimental day.

Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

35 Years

Eligible Sex

MALE

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes