Stabilizing the Locomotor-Respiratory Coupling Using a Metronome to Save Energy

Charles P. Hoffmann^*, Sébastien J. Villard^* and Benoît G. Bardy^*

^(*) Movement to Health (M2H) Laboratory, EuroMov, Montpellier-1 University, France
E-mail: charles.hoffmann@univ-montp1.fr

Abstract

The Locomotor-Respiratory Coupling (LRC) is often evidenced by phase- or frequency-locking patterns. The model of the sine circle map is used here to characterize LRC. Several studies have suggested that a sound emitted by an external metronome can stabilize the LRC. Participants in our task were asked during a cycling exercise to synchronize either their respiration or their pedaling rate with an external auditory stimulus corresponding to their preferred respiratory and pedaling frequencies respectively. Our results showed a significant reduction in energy expenditure when participants breathed in sync with the auditory stimulation, but not accompanied by a change in the stabilization of LRC. A large within- as well as between-participants LRC variability, together with the spontaneous adoption of the most stable pace, contributes to explain this result.