Research

The journey to the creation of the Spironess Method began when Florence was a young child looking for solutions to her stuttering. That search eventually led to a PhD in Integrated Respiratory Physiology in extreme conditions and the creation of the Spironess Respiratory Conditioning Method.

In 2015, Florence and Phoebe met. Phoebe has trained with Florence over the past 7 years to better understand respiratory physiology and the inner workings of Spironess. Phoebe continues to study the Spironess method and respiratory conditioning as her focus in her PhD studies in Applied Psychophysiology.

2022-2023

Validation of the Spironess Method

This study is designed to validate the Spironess method and replicate the original research in a different population

Jan 2021

the effects of the spironess conditioning method on cardiorespiratory function compared to stepwise-paced breathing in sedentary adults

Summary: The results presented in this work indicate that the Spironess method leads to significant improvements in systolic blood pressure and resting respiratory rates apart from exercise. It potentially could also improve diastolic blood pressure, resting heart rate and recovery heart rate. The Spironess protocol may be used to improve cardiorespiratory systems in sedentary populations which could potentially remove barriers to beginning exercise regimes. Although the Spironess method is not designed to replace aerobic exercise, it does offer some benefits found through aerobic exercise that would benefit populations that are immobilized or precluded from partaking in aerobic exercise. The findings in this study also provide a methodology to globally improve the musculature needed to execute all breathing techniques which could shorten the amount of time needed to benefit from the various breathing techniques used across disciplines.

2008

Effects of Spironess in patients in phase II of cardiac rehabilitation undertaken following myocardial infarction or coronary artery bypass grafting

Final dissertation in Physiotherapy, 2008, Haute Ecole Provinciale de Charleroi, Belgium, Pierre Baptiste LAVENU

Summary: On heart surgery patients, increased endurance on exercise test on ergocycle (bicycle), "6-minute walk test": increased oxygenation, increased distance walked, decreased heart rate heart rate during the test. At rest, decrease in heart rate and blood pressure. Spontaneous discontinuation by 3 patients of their drug intake following the improvement of their general condition.

2007

respiration training Technique derived from spironess increases

exercise performances in rowing athletes

The subjects in control and Spironess groups were comparable with regard to their age, height, weight and BMI. Before Spironess, all the parameters were comparable between control ad Spironess group at rest and after exercise.

After Spironess, at rest, there were significant increases in respiratory volumes (VC, CPT) and maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressures. After exercise, there were significant increases in maximal load, maximal oxygen consumption and in respiratory threshold.

Figure 1 shows the evolution of Tidal Volume during exercise in Control (white dot) and Spironess groups (black dot). There is a significant decrease in trained subjects until the respiratory threshold was reached i.e. between the 8th and the 10th minute.

Summary: With elite rowers: increase in ventilatory threshold (18%), maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) by 6%, maximal aerobic power (PMax) by 9%, respiratory function (5 .5% of the Vital Capacity, CV) and the strength of the respiratory muscles (PEmax of 23% and PImax of 10%).

2005

Training to yoga respiration selectively increases respiratory sensation in healthy man.

Villien, F., Yu, M., Barthélémy, P., & Jammes, Y. (2005). Training to yoga respiration selectively increases respiratory sensation in healthy man. Respiratory Physiology & Neurobiology., 146(1), 85–96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resp.2004.11.010

Abstract: Because yoga practitioners think they are benefiting from their breath training we hypothesized that yoga respiration training (YRT) could modify the respiratory sensation. Yoga respiration (YR) (“ujjai”) consisted of very slow, deep breaths (2–3 min−1) with sustained breath-hold after each inspiration and expiration. At inclusion in the study and after a 2-month YRT program, we determined in healthy subjects their eupneic ventilatory pattern and their capacity to discriminate external inspiratory resistive loads (respiratory sensation), digital tactile mechanical pressures (somesthetic sensation) and sound-pressure stimulations (auditory sensation). Data were compared to a gender-, age-, and weight-matched control group of healthy subjects who did not undergo the YRT program but were explored at the same epochs. After the 2-month YRT program, the respiratory sensation increased. Thus, both the exponent of the Steven's power law (Ψ = kΦn) and the slope of the linear–linear plot between Ψ and mouth pressure (Pm) were significantly higher, and the intercept with ordinate axis of the Ψ versus Pm relationship was lower. After YRT, the peak Pm developed against inspiratory loads was significantly lower, reducing the load-induced activation of respiratory afferents. YRT induced long-lasting modifications of the ventilatory pattern with a significant lengthening of expiratory duration and a modest tidal volume increase. No significant changes in somesthetic and auditory sensations were noted. In the control group, the respiratory sensation was not modified during a 15-min period of yoga respiration, despite the peak Pm changes in response to added loads were then significantly reduced. These data suggest that training to yoga respiration selectively increases the respiratory sensation, perhaps through its persistent conditioning of the breathing pattern.