Figure 2. Effects of ribcage or diaphragm breathing patterns on femoral arterial inflow, mean arterial pressure (MAP) and femoral venous outflow signal-averaged over the course of a breath during resting conditions (n = 5, minimum of 200 breaths per subject per condition).

Though there is no discernable effect of breathing pattern on arterial inflow, femoral venous return is facilitated during a ribcage inspiration and impeded during a diaphragmatic inspiration, with these modulatory effects being reversed during the ensuing expiratory phase of the breath. Grey circles, ribcage breathing; black circles, diaphragm breathing; †P < 0.01 and *P < 0.05 for comparisons of ribcage versus diaphragm for mean inspiratory or expiratory values.