A study found that volunteers' reaction times were 41 milliseconds faster when exhaling or holding their breath compared to inhaling, with implications for tasks requiring rapid responses like sprinting. Researchers at Northwestern University discovered this while studying breathing patterns for sleep apnea treatments, though the mechanism remains unclear and may depend on task complexity.
A user built a simple 30-second breathing exercise tool designed to help reset between tasks by following a visual circle guide at a comfortable breathing pace.