Slow Breathing Can Rewire Your Brain and Change the Choices You Make

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Biology<br>Slow Breathing Can Rewire Your Brain and Change the Choices You Make<br>By German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-RehbrueckeJune 28, 2026No Comments5 Mins Read

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Researchers found that controlled breathing may subtly shape how people make decisions. The findings reveal a surprising link between bodily signals, brain activity, and the choices we make. Credit: Shutterstock Extended exhalation increases reward sensitivity and heart rate variability, leading to bolder decision-making through measurable changes in brain activity.<br>Researchers from the German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke (DIfE) and Charit&eacute; – Universit&auml;tsmedizin Berlin have shown for the first time that consciously controlling breathing patterns can influence decision-making by affecting both heart and brain activity.<br>Led by Prof. Soyoung Q Park, the team found that extending the exhalation phase of breathing increases heart rate variability and enhances the brain&rsquo;s response to rewards, making people more likely to choose bolder options. The findings were published in the journal Neuron.<br>Fast breathing and an elevated heart rate are often associated with rapid decisions. In these situations, people may become more cautious in an effort to avoid losses, whether they are making a financial choice under pressure, navigating an important workplace discussion, or quickly deciding what to eat. Slower breathing and a calmer cardiovascular state, on the other hand, may encourage a more positive assessment of potential outcomes and greater willingness to take risks.<br>While decision-making is traditionally viewed as a process that originates in the brain, this study examined how signals from different parts of the body can shape brain activity and influence choices. The research was led by Prof. Soyoung Q Park in collaboration with the Neuroscience Research Center at Charit&eacute; – Universit&auml;tsmedizin Berlin, Freie Universit&auml;t Berlin, and the German Naval Institute of Maritime Medicine.<br>Analysis of brain scans obtained using fMRI (representative image). Credit: David Ausserhofer/DIfE&ldquo;Our decisions are rarely determined solely by external information. Rather, our judgment emerges from the interplay between cognitive processes and our current bodily state. 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,&rdquo; said Soyoung Q Park, head of the Department of Decision Neuroscience and Nutrition at DIfE.<br>Prof. Soyoung Q Park, Head of the Department of Decision Neuroscience and Nutrition. Credit: Michael Reinhardt/DIfETesting Slow Breathing During Risk Decisions<br>The study involved 41 healthy volunteers who completed risk-based decision tasks while following specific breathing instructions in an advanced research environment. Participants either breathed at their normal pace or followed a slower pattern with a prolonged exhalation (2:8 inhale-exhale ratio). During both breathing conditions, they were asked to make a series of decisions involving risk.<br>At the same time, researchers measured brain activity using functional magnetic resonance imaging while also tracking breathing, heart function, skin conductance, and pupil responses. Combining these data allowed the team to determine whether longer exhalations not only reduced heart rate but also directly influenced reward-related processing in the brain.<br>The results showed that extended exhalation increased the likelihood of riskier choices by slowing the heart rate. Importantly, participants became more responsive to potential rewards, while their sensitivity to possible losses did not change. The researchers also observed increased activity in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and the precuneus.<br>Brain Regions Link Breathing, Heart Function, and Reward Sensitivity<br>These brain regions are involved in regulating both heart rate variability, which reflects changes in the time between heartbeats, and sensitivity to rewards. &ldquo;Our study thus underscores the transformative role of breath-based interventions. The interplay between breathing and cardiac dynamics makes the brain more receptive to rewards,&rdquo; said lead author Wenhao Huang.<br>Wenhao Huang, PhD student in the Department of Decision Neuroscience and Nutrition. Credit: Carolin Schrandt/DIfEThe findings add to growing evidence on body-brain interactions and support neurovisceral models, which suggest that physical states can strongly shape cognitive function. Park said, &ldquo;Breathing...