Vagal Tank Theory: The Three Rs of Cardiac Vagal Control Functioning – Resting, Reactivity, and Recovery

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to set the stage for the vagal tank theory, showcasing a functional resource account for self-regulation. The vagal tank theory, building on neurophysiological, cognitive and social psychology approaches, will introduce a physiological indicator for self-regulation that has mainly been ignored from cognitive and social psychology, cardiac vagal control (also referred to as cardiac vagal activity). Cardiac vagal control reflects the contribution of the vagus nerve, the main nerve of the parasympathetic nervous system, to cardiac regulation. We propose cardiac vagal control to be an indicator of how efficiently self-regulatory resources are mobilized and used. Three systematic levels of cardiac vagal control analysis are suggested: resting, reactivity, and recovery. Based on this physiological indicator we derive the metaphor of the vagal tank, which can get depleted and replenished. Overall, the vagal tank theory will enable to integrate previous findings from different disciplines and to stimulate new research questions, predictions, and designs regarding self-regulation.

Toward a social psychophysiology of vagally mediated heart rate variability: Concepts and methods in self‐regulation, emotion, and interpersonal processes

“…It can be temporarily depleted by self-regulatory effort. This fluctuation is central in the vagal tank concept (Laborde, Mosley, & Mertgen, 2018), which describes the depleting and replenishing nature of self-regulatory capacity evident in resting vmHRV.…”

Commentary: Vagal Tank Theory: The Three Rs of Cardiac Vagal Control Functioning – Resting, Reactivity, and Recovery

“…Vagal Tank Theory: The Three Rs of Cardiac Vagal Control Functioning -Resting, Reactivity, and Recovery by Laborde, S., Mosley, E., and Mertgen, A. (2018).…”

“…Even though the authors conceived a very comprehensive theory this commentary tries to further develop the authors' model for the application in sports and exercise. Which factors may contribute to the filling of the vagus tank above the initial level after elimination of the depleting or replenishing factors does not clearly emerge from the vagal tank model (Figures 3,4, dotted line A in Laborde et al, 2018), although there are settings/conditions that can promote a regenerative state of the organism above the level of the initial resting phase (e.g., during sleep phases or with predetermined slow deep breathing).…”

“…This is particularly relevant in relation to physical activity. Even though cardiac vagal activity may drop during an acute bout of exercise, regular physical activity (aerobic training) has been shown to increase resting FIGURE 1 | Adjusted vagal tank model according to Laborde et al (2018) for application in sports including the orthostatic test. Vagal tank with vagal stimuli (1), with high vagal stimuli (2), and sympathetic stimuli (3).…”

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The authors of this paper (Laborde et al, 2018) developed a new theory, they call "Vagal Tank Theory, " which helps to better understand the complexity of self-regulatory interactions and their mechanisms, especially from a neurobiological and psychological point of view. To operationalize their theoretical assumptions, they analyze the activity of the parasympathetic nervous system by measuring the beat-to-beat variation of the heart rate and calculating vagal parameters of heart rate variability (HRV) from time and frequency domain analysis.Laborde and colleagues provide a very promising approach for investigating factors that positively and negatively influence cardiac vagal activity by self-regulatory mechanisms.

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