Researchers at the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD) have found that slowing breathing with a prolonged exhale can increase a person’s willingness to take risks. The study, published in *Neuron*, suggests that controlling breath directly influences how choices are evaluated by altering heart activity and increasing the brain’s sensitivity to rewards.
The study, led by Prof. Soyoung Q Park of the Department of Decision Neuroscience and Nutrition at the German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke (DIfE), examined the connection between bodily signals and brain activity during decision-making. Researchers collaborated with institutions including Charité -- Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin, and the German Naval Institute of Maritime Medicine.
Forty-one healthy participants were studied while making risky choices under controlled breathing conditions. Participants either breathed at their normal pace or practiced slow breathing with an extended exhalation phase, using a 2:8 inhale-exhale ratio. During the decision-making process, researchers measured physiological and neurological responses. The findings showed that longer exhalations increased heart rate variability and made the brain more responsive to rewards, correlating with bolder choices.
“Our decisions are rarely determined solely by external information. Rather, our judgment emerges from the interplay between cognitive processes and our current bodily state,” explains Soyoung Q Park. “It was previously unknown how the conscious regulation of our body, for example through targeted breathing, could actively control our decision-making process. We wanted to create a physiological shift using a slow breathing pattern to change the quality of our decisions.”
Fast breathing and elevated heart rates are often associated with rapid decision-making, potentially leading to more cautious choices under pressure. Conversely, slower breathing and a calmer cardiovascular state may encourage a more positive assessment of potential outcomes and a greater willingness to take risks.
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