I know of no sound basis for diminishing responses to "control" questions the 2nd and 3rd times a question is asked. In order to pass, reactions to "control" questions need to be stronger than reactions to relevant questions. Deliberately producing diminished reactions to "control" questions would tend to increase the risk of failing.

That said, a polygrapher might suspect countermeasures if a subject consistently shows very strong reaction(s) to one or more "control" questions. Thus, it might be beneficial to use mental countermeasures instead of the anal sphincter contraction or tongue-biting, as this might help to keep reactions within the range of what one might have shown out of fear of being caught in a lie. This is, however, conjecture on my part. Very little research has been done on the subject of countermeasures.

It is also worth noting that none of the breathing countermeasures described in The Lie Behind the Lie Detector call for taking deep breaths.