1 607 154 DEVELOPMENT OF A CHEWABLE TABLET FROM DUGDHAMALAKYADI YOGA: AN AYURVEDIC PREPARATION. BACKGROUND: AMALAKI (EMBELICA OFFICINALIS GAERTN.) IS ONE OF THE MOST CELEBRATED HERBS IN THE INDIAN SYSTEM OF TRADITIONAL MEDICINE. IT IS ONE OF THE BEST RASAYANA-S (HEALTH PROMOTING) DRUG. IN DUGDHAMALAKYADI YOGA, AMALAKI (EMBELICA OFFICINALIS GAERTN.) POWDER IS ADMINISTERED ALONG WITH MILK IN CASE OF SVARABHANGA (HOARSENESS OF VOICE). HERE AN ATTEMPT IS MADE TO CONVERT THIS FORMULATION INTO CHEWABLE TABLET WITHOUT ALTERING ITS PROPERTY TO IMPROVE ITS PALATABILITY, SHELF LIFE AND FIXATION OF PROPER THERAPEUTIC DOSE. METHODOLOGY: CHEWABLE TABLETS WERE PREPARED BY WET GRANULATION METHOD. HERE, AMALAKI POWDER WAS PREPARED INITIALLY AND IT WAS MIXED WITH ADDITIVES AND PRESERVATIVES. GRANULES WERE PREPARED FROM THIS MIXTURE BY ADDING BINDING AGENT, FINALLY COMPRESSED IN TO TABLETS. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: THE PHYSICO-CHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF AMALAKI STANDARD ARE: FOREIGN MATTER-NIL, ACID INSOLUBLE ASH-0.51%W/W, WATER SOLUBLE ASH-2.01% W/W, ALCOHOLIC EXTRACTIVES-44.48%, AQUEOUS EXTRACTIVES 67.52%, PH-3.1, MOISTURE CONTENT-8.19%. QUALITY CONTROL TEST FOR CHEWABLE TABLET WAS CARRIED OUT AND FOUND SATISFACTORY WITH GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF TABLET VIZ. HARDNESS 1.8, DISINTEGRATION TIME 15-20 MIN, FRIABILITY 0.5%, WEIGHT VARIATION +/- 3%. THE TLC OF AMALAKI POWDER SHOWED 3 SPOTS WITH RF VALUE 0.14, 0.4, AND 0.73 AND THE CHEWABLE TABLETS SHOWED 2 SPOTS WITH RF VALUE 0.31 AND 0.89 UNDER 254 NM. THE ADAPTATION OF MODERN TECHNIQUES OR METHODS TO CONVERT THE AYURVEDIC FORMULATIONS WITHOUT ALTERING ITS THERAPEUTIC PROPERTY IS NECESSARY TO MADE THEM SUITABLE FOR THE PRESENT TRENDS OF NEWER DRUG DELIVERY DOSAGE FORMS. 2012 2 2357 21 VARYING ALIGNMENT AFFECTS LOWER EXTREMITY JOINT AND LIMB LOADING DURING YOGA'S TRIANGLE (TRIKONASANA) POSE. BACKGROUND: LIMITED BIOMECHANICAL DATA EXIST DESCRIBING HOW YOGA ASANAS (POSTURES) LOAD THE LIMBS AND JOINTS, AND LITTLE EVIDENCE-BASED RECOMMENDATIONS FOR YOGA INJURY PREVENTION ARE AVAILABLE. THIS STUDY AIMED TO ESTABLISH JOINT LOADING METRICS FOR AN INJURY-PRONE, YET COMMON YOGA POSE, THE TRIANGLE ASANA (TRIKONASANA) BY IDENTIFYING HOW STANCE WIDTH ADJUSTMENTS ALTER LOWER EXTREMITY LOADING. METHODS: EIGHTEEN YOGA PRACTITIONERS UNDERWENT 3D MOTION ANALYSIS WHILE PERFORMING TRIKONASANA WITH SELF-SELECTED (SS) STANCE WIDTH AND -30, -20, -10, +10, +20, AND +30% OF SS STANCE WIDTH. GROUND REACTION FORCES (GRFS), JOINT FORCES, AND JOINT MOMENTS WERE CALCULATED FOR THE LEADING AND TRAILING LIMB ANKLE, KNEE, AND HIP. ONE-WAY REPEATED-MEASURES ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE DETERMINED DIFFERENCES IN LOADING DUE TO STANCE WIDTH. RESULTS: GRFS, NET JOINT FORCES, AND NET JOINT MOMENTS WERE SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECTED BY STANCE WIDTH WHERE INCREASING STANCE WIDTH INCREASED LEADING LIMB LOADING BUT DECREASED TRAILING LIMB LOADING. CONCLUSIONS: ALTERING STANCE WIDTH OF TRIKONASANA INFLUENCES LOWER EXTREMITY LIMB LOADING, AND THESE LOADING RESPONSES WERE LIMB-DEPENDENT. YOGA PRACTITIONERS AND INSTRUCTORS CAN USE THIS INFORMATION TO OBJECTIVELY SUPPORT INCREASING OR DECREASING STANCE WIDTH TO REDUCE OR INCREASE LIMB LOADING ACCORDING TO THEIR GOALS OR TO MAKE ACCOMMODATIONS TO GROUPS SUCH AS BEGINNERS OR AT-RISK POPULATIONS FOR SAFER, MORE ACCESSIBLE YOGA PRACTICES. CUING A WIDER OR NARROWER STANCE WIDTH WILL NOT HAVE THE SAME EFFECT ON BOTH LIMBS. 2022 3 285 19 ADIPONECTIN, LEPTIN, AND YOGA PRACTICE. TO ADDRESS THE MECHANISMS UNDERLYING HATHA YOGA'S POTENTIAL STRESS-REDUCTION BENEFITS, WE COMPARED ADIPONECTIN AND LEPTIN DATA FROM WELL-MATCHED NOVICE AND EXPERT YOGA PRACTITIONERS. THESE ADIPOCYTOKINES HAVE COUNTER-REGULATORY FUNCTIONS IN INFLAMMATION; LEPTIN PLAYS A PROINFLAMMATORY ROLE, WHILE ADIPONECTIN HAS ANTI-INFLAMMATORY PROPERTIES. FIFTY HEALTHY WOMEN (MEAN AGE=41.32, RANGE=30-65), 25 NOVICES AND 25 EXPERTS, PROVIDED FASTING BLOOD SAMPLES DURING THREE SEPARATE VISITS. LEPTIN WAS 36% HIGHER AMONG NOVICES COMPARED TO EXPERTS, P=.008. ANALYSIS OF ADIPONECTIN REVEALED A BORDERLINE EFFECT OF YOGA EXPERTISE, P=.08; EXPERTS' AVERAGE ADIPONECTIN LEVELS WERE 28% HIGHER THAN NOVICES ACROSS THE THREE VISITS. IN CONTRAST, EXPERTS' AVERAGE ADIPONECTIN TO LEPTIN RATIO WAS NEARLY TWICE THAT OF NOVICES, P=.009. FREQUENCY OF SELF-REPORTED YOGA PRACTICE SHOWED SIGNIFICANT NEGATIVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH LEPTIN; MORE WEEKS OF YOGA PRACTICE OVER THE LAST YEAR, MORE LIFETIME YOGA SESSIONS, AND MORE YEARS OF YOGA PRACTICE WERE ALL SIGNIFICANTLY ASSOCIATED WITH LOWER LEPTIN, WITH SIMILAR FINDINGS FOR THE ADIPONECTIN TO LEPTIN RATIO. NOVICES AND EXPERTS DID NOT SHOW EVEN MARGINAL DIFFERENCES ON BEHAVIORAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL DIMENSIONS THAT MIGHT REPRESENT POTENTIAL CONFOUNDS, INCLUDING BMI, CENTRAL ADIPOSITY, CARDIORESPIRATORY FITNESS, AND DIET. PROSPECTIVE STUDIES ADDRESSING INCREASED RISK FOR TYPE II DIABETES, HYPERTENSION, AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE HAVE HIGHLIGHTED THE IMPORTANCE OF THESE ADIPOCYTOKINES IN MODULATING INFLAMMATION. ALTHOUGH THESE HEALTH RISKS ARE CLEARLY RELATED TO MORE EXTREME VALUES THEN WE FOUND IN OUR HEALTHY SAMPLE, OUR DATA RAISE THE POSSIBILITY THAT LONGER-TERM AND/OR MORE INTENSIVE YOGA PRACTICE COULD HAVE BENEFICIAL HEALTH CONSEQUENCES BY ALTERING LEPTIN AND ADIPONECTIN PRODUCTION. 2012 4 1163 12 EVALUATING THE ADDITION OF HATHA YOGA IN CARDIAC REHABILITATION. CARDIAC EVENTS OFTEN OCCUR SUDDENLY, ALTERING A PERSON'S LIFESTYLE AND OUTLOOK. RESEARCHERS STUDIED THE ADDITION OF A YOGA INTERVEN- TION TO STANDARD CARDIAC REHABILITATION, FINDING SIGNIFICANT IMPROVE- MENT IN PERCEIVED STRESS AND QUALITY OF LIFE. 2017 5 2043 15 THE ACUTE EFFECTS OF VINYASA FLOW YOGA ON VASCULAR FUNCTION, LIPID AND GLUCOSE CONCENTRATIONS, AND MOOD. WHILE THE CHRONIC EFFECTS OF CERTAIN STYLES OF YOGA ON CARDIOMETABOLIC FACTORS HAVE BEEN INVESTIGATED, LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THE ACUTE EFFECTS OF A SINGLE YOGA SESSION ON THESE OUTCOMES. MOREOVER, VINYASA YOGA'S POTENTIAL TO MODULATE CARDIOMETABOLIC OUTCOMES HAS NOT BEEN ESTABLISHED. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY IS TO DETERMINE THE ACUTE EFFECTS OF A VINYASA YOGA SESSION ON ARTERIAL STIFFNESS, WAVE REFLECTION, LIPID AND GLUCOSE CONCENTRATIONS, AND MOOD IN ADULTS WITH PRIOR YOGA EXPERIENCE. THIRTY YOGA PRACTITIONERS WITH A MINIMUM OF 3 MONTHS OF PRACTICE EXPERIENCE WERE ENROLLED INTO THE STUDY. CAROTID-FEMORAL PULSE WAVE VELOCITY (CF-PWV), AUGMENTATION INDEX (AIX), LIPID PROFILE, GLUCOSE CONCENTRATIONS, AND MOOD (POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE AFFECT SCALE) WERE ASSESSED AT BASELINE AND IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING A 1 -H VINYASA YOGA SESSION. AFTER THE YOGA SESSION, PARTICIPANTS HAD SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER AIX (P < 0.001), NON-HDL CHOLESTEROL (P < 0.05), AND NEGATIVE AFFECT (P < 0.01) COMPARED TO BASELINE. THESE RESULTS HIGHLIGHT THE EFFICACY OF A SINGLE BOUT OF YOGA IN ALTERING WAVE REFLECTION WHILE IMPROVING MOOD AND LIPID CONCENTRATIONS IN HEALTHY ADULTS WITH A HISTORY OF YOGA PRACTICE. 2021 6 1443 14 INCREASED MUSCLE ENZYME ACTIVITY AFTER YOGA BREATHING DURING AN EXACERBATION OF ASTHMA. THE CASE IS REPORTED OF A YOGA PRACTITIONER WHO, DURING AN EXACERBATION OF ASTHMA, DEVELOPED A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN SERUM MUSCLE ENZYMES. THIS WAS RELATED TO HIS YOGA BREATHING EXERCISES, WHICH HE USED TO ENHANCE THE DELIVERY OF AEROSOLISED BRONCHODILATORS. AS HIS CONDITION IMPROVED AND THE USE OF THESE YOGA MANOEUVRES DIMINISHED, THE MUSCLE ENZYME LEVELS FELL TO NORMAL. 1988 7 2410 20 YOGA AND HYPERTENSION: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW. LIFESTYLE MODIFICATION IS A CORNERSTONE OF HYPERTENSION (HPT) TREATMENT, YET MOST RECOMMENDATIONS CURRENTLY FOCUS ON DIET AND EXERCISE AND DO NOT CONSIDER STRESS REDUCTION STRATEGIES. YOGA IS A SPIRITUAL PATH THAT MAY REDUCE BLOOD PRESSURE (BP) THROUGH REDUCING STRESS, INCREASING PARASYMPATHETIC ACTIVATION, AND ALTERING BARORECEPTOR SENSITIVITY; HOWEVER, DESPITE REVIEWS ON YOGA AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE, DIABETES, METABOLIC SYNDROME, AND ANXIETY THAT SUGGEST YOGA MAY REDUCE BP, NO COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW HAS YET FOCUSED ON YOGA AND HPT. A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF ALL PUBLISHED STUDIES ON YOGA AND HPT WAS PERFORMED REVEALING 39 COHORT STUDIES, 30 NONRANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED TRIALS (NRCTS), 48 RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED TRIALS (RCTS), AND 3 CASE REPORTS WITH DURATIONS RANGING FROM 1 WK TO 4 Y AND INVOLVING A TOTAL OF 6693 SUBJECTS. MOST STUDIES REPORTED THAT YOGA EFFECTIVELY REDUCED BP IN BOTH NORMOTENSIVE AND HYPERTENSIVE POPULATIONS. THESE STUDIES SUGGEST THAT YOGA IS AN EFFECTIVE ADJUNCT THERAPY FOR HPT AND WORTHY OF INCLUSION IN CLINICAL GUIDELINES, YET THE GREAT HETEROGENEITY OF YOGA PRACTICES AND THE VARIABLE QUALITY OF THE RESEARCH MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO RECOMMEND ANY SPECIFIC YOGA PRACTICE FOR HPT. FUTURE RESEARCH NEEDS TO FOCUS ON HIGH QUALITY CLINICAL TRIALS ALONG WITH STUDIES ON THE MECHANISMS OF ACTION OF DIFFERENT YOGA PRACTICES. 2014 8 1994 24 STANDARDIZATION OF SULAHARAN YOGA: AN AYURVEDIC TABLET FORMULATION. QUALITY ASSURANCE OF HERBAL PRODUCTS MAY BE ENSURED BY PROPER QUALITY CONTROL OF THE HERBAL INGREDIENTS AND BY MEANS OF GOOD MANUFACTURING PRACTICE. WE HAVE DEVELOPED A SIMPLE SCHEME FOR THE STANDARDIZATION AND AUTHENTICATION OF SULAHARAN YOGA A POLY HERBAL FORMULATION. SULAHARAN YOGA WAS PREPARED AS PER AYURVEDIC FORMULARY OF INDIA. IN-HOUSE AND MARKETED PREPARATION HAS BEEN STANDARDIZED ON THE BASIS OF ORGANOLEPTIC CHARACTERS, PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND PHYSICO-CHEMICAL PROPERTIES. THE SET PARAMETERS WERE FOUND TO BE SUFFICIENT TO STANDARDIZE THE SULAHARAN YOGA AND CAN BE USED AS REFERENCE STANDARDS FOR THE QUALITY CONTROL/ QUALITY ASSURANCE STUDY. 2011 9 2363 23 VOLUNTARILY INDUCED VOMITING - A YOGA TECHNIQUE TO ENHANCE PULMONARY FUNCTIONS IN HEALTHY HUMANS. VOMITING IS A COMPLEX AUTONOMIC REFLEX ORCHESTRATED BY SEVERAL NEUROLOGICAL CENTRES IN THE BRAIN. VAGUS, THE CRANIAL NERVE PLAYS A KEY ROLE IN REGULATION OF VOMITING. KUNJAL KRIYA (VOLUNTARILY INDUCED VOMITING), IS A YOGIC CLEANSING TECHNIQUE WHICH INVOLVES VOLUNTARILY INDUCING VOMITING AFTER DRINKING SALINE WATER (5%) ON EMPTY STOMACH. THIS STUDY WAS DESIGNED WITH AN OBJECTIVE TO UNDERSTAND THE EFFECT OF VOLUNTARY INDUCED VOMITING (VIV) ON PULMONARY FUNCTIONS IN EXPERIENCED PRACTITIONERS AND NOVICES AND DERIVE ITS POSSIBLE THERAPEUTIC APPLICATIONS. EIGHTEEN HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS VOLUNTEERED FOR THE STUDY OF WHICH NINE HAD PRIOR EXPERIENCE OF VIV WHILE NINE DID NOT. PULMONARY FUNCTION TESTS WERE PERFORMED BEFORE AND AFTER 10 MIN OF REST FOLLOWING VIV. ANALYSIS OF COVARIANCE WAS PERFORMED ADJUSTED FOR GENDER AND BASELINE VALUES. NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES WERE OBSERVED ACROSS GENDERS. THE RESULTS OF THE PRESENT STUDY SUGGEST A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN SLOW VITAL CAPACITY [F(1,13) = 5.699; P = 0.03] AND FORCED INSPIRATORY VOLUME IN 1ST SECOND [P = 0.02] AND REDUCTION IN EXPIRATORY RESERVE VOLUME [F(1,13) = 5.029; P = 0.04] AND RESPIRATORY RATE [F(1,13) = 3.244, P = 0.09]. THESE CHANGES SUGGEST THE POSSIBLE ROLE OF VIV IN ENHANCING THE ENDURANCE OF THE RESPIRATORY MUSCLES, DECREASED AIRWAY RESISTANCE, BETTER EMPTYING OF LUNGS AND VAGAL PREDOMINANCE RESPECTIVELY. WE CONCLUDE THAT VIV WHEN PRACTICED REGULARLY ENHANCES THE ENDURANCE OF THE RESPIRATORY MUSCLES AND DECREASES AIRWAY RESISTANCE. THESE FINDINGS ALSO INDICATE NEED FOR SCIENTIFIC UNDERSTANDING OF VIV IN THE MANAGEMENT OF MOTION SICKNESS AND RESTRICTIVE PULMONARY DISORDERS LIKE BRONCHITIS AND BRONCHIAL ASTHMA. 2018 10 942 21 EFFECTS OF 8-WEEK HATHA YOGA TRAINING ON METABOLIC AND INFLAMMATORY MARKERS IN HEALTHY, FEMALE CHINESE SUBJECTS: A RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL. WE AIMED TO DETERMINE THE EFFECTS OF AN 8 WK HATHA YOGA TRAINING ON BLOOD GLUCOSE, INSULIN, LIPID PROFILES, ENDOTHELIAL MICROPARTICLES (EMPS), AND INFLAMMATORY STATUS IN HEALTHY, LEAN, AND FEMALE CHINESE SUBJECTS. A TOTAL OF 30 HEALTHY, FEMALE CHINESE SUBJECTS WERE RECRUITED AND RANDOMIZED INTO CONTROL OR YOGA PRACTICE GROUP. THE YOGA PRACTICE INCLUDED 8 WKS OF YOGA PRACTICE (2 TIMES/WK) FOR A TOTAL OF 16 TIMES. FASTING BLOOD SAMPLES WERE COLLECTED BEFORE AND AFTER YOGA TRAINING. PLASMA WAS ISOLATED FOR THE MEASUREMENT OF LIPID PROFILES, GLUCOSE, INSULIN, EMPS, AND INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINES. WHOLE BLOOD WAS CULTURED EX VIVO AND STIMULATED WITH LIPOPOLYSACCHARIDE (LPS) AND PAM3CYS-SK4. PERIPHERAL BLOOD MONONUCLEAR CELLS (PBMCS) WERE ISOLATED FOR THE MEASUREMENT OF TLR2 AND TLR4 PROTEIN EXPRESSION. YOGA PRACTICE SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED PLASMA CHOLESTEROL, LDL-CHOLESTEROL, INSULIN LEVELS, AND CD31+/CD42B- EMPS. CULTURED WHOLE BLOOD FROM THE YOGA GROUP HAS REDUCED PROINFLAMMATORY CYTOKINES SECRETION BOTH AT UNSTIMULATED CONDITION AND WHEN STIMULATED WITH PAM3CYS-SK4; THIS MIGHT BE ASSOCIATED WITH REDUCED TLR2 PROTEIN EXPRESSION IN PBMCS AFTER YOGA TRAINING. HATHA YOGA PRACTICE IN HEALTHY CHINESE FEMALE SUBJECTS COULD IMPROVE HALLMARKS RELATED TO METS; THUS IT CAN BE CONSIDERED AS AN ANCILLARY INTERVENTION IN THE PRIMARY METS PREVENTION FOR THE HEALTHY POPULATION. THIS TRIAL IS REGISTERED WITH CHICTR-IOR-14005747. 2016 11 2396 15 YOGA AND CHEMOREFLEX RESPONSE TO HYPOXIA AND HYPERCAPNIA. WE TESTED WHETHER CHEMOREFLEX SENSITIVITY COULD BE AFFECTED BY THE PRACTICE OF YOGA, AND WHETHER THIS IS SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE OF A SLOW BREATHING RATE OBTAINED DURING YOGA OR AS A GENERAL CONSEQUENCE OF YOGA. WE FOUND THAT SLOW BREATHING RATE PER SE SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCED CHEMOREFLEX SENSITIVITY, BUT LONG-TERM YOGA PRACTICE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR A GENERALISED REDUCTION IN CHEMOREFLEX. 2000 12 2056 21 THE BENEFICIAL EFFECT OF YOGA IN DIABETES. TWENTY NIDDM SUBJECTS (MILD TO MODERATE DIABETICS) IN THE AGE GROUP OF 30-60 YEARS WERE SELECTED FROM THE OUT PATIENT CLINIC OF G.T.B. HOSPITAL. THEY WERE ON A 40 DAYS YOGA ASANA REGIME UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF A YOGA EXPERT. 13 SPECIFIC YOGA ASANAS < OR = DONE BY TYPE 2 DIABETES PATIENTS INCLUDED. SURYA NAMASKAR, TRIKONASANA, TADASANA, SUKHASANA, PADMASANA, BHASTRIKA PRANAYAMA, PASHIMOTTANASANA, ARDHMATSYENDRASANA, PAWANMUKTASANA, BHUJANGASANA, VAJRASANA, DHANURASANA AND SHAVASANA ARE BENEFICIAL FOR DIABETES MELLITUS. SERUM INSULIN, PLASMA FASTING AND ONE HOUR POSTPRANDIAL BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVELS AND ANTHROPOMETRIC PARAMETERS WERE MEASURED BEFORE AND AFTER YOGA ASANAS. THE RESULTS INDICATE THAT THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN FASTING GLUCOSE LEVELS FROM BASAL 208.3 +/- 20.0 TO 171.7 +/- 19.5 MG/DL AND ONE HOUR POSTPRANDIAL BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVELS DECREASED FROM 295.3 +/- 22.0 TO 269.7 +/- 19.9 MG/DL. THE EXACT MECHANISM AS TO HOW THESE POSTURES AND CONTROLLED BREATHING INTERACT WITH SOMATOENDOCRINE MECHANISM AFFECTING INSULIN KINETICS WAS WORKED OUT. A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN WAIST-HIP RATIO AND CHANGES IN INSULIN LEVELS WERE ALSO OBSERVED, SUGGESTING A POSITIVE EFFECT OF YOGA ASANAS ON GLUCOSE UTILISATION AND FAT REDISTRIBUTION IN NIDDM. YOGA ASANAS MAY BE USED AS AN ADJUNCT WITH DIET AND DRUGS IN THE MANAGEMENT OF TYPE 2 DIABETES. 2005 13 323 19 ANTHROPOMETRIC AND PHYSIOLOGIC PROFILES OF FEMALE PROFESSIONAL YOGA PRACTITIONERS AND ENERGY EXPENDITURE DURING ASANAS EXECUTION. AIM: THE PRESENT STUDY AIMED TO: 1) DEFINE THE ANTHROPOMETRIC AND PHYSIOLOGICAL PROFILES OF FEMALE PROFESSIONAL YOGA PRACTITIONER COMPARED TO THAT OF OTHER ATHLETES; 2) EVALUATE THE ENERGY EXPENDITURE (EE) DURING A YOGA SESSION. METHODS: THE PERCENTAGE FAT MASS (FM%) AND FAT FREE MASS (FFM%), THE MAXIMAL AEROBIC POWER (VO2MAX), THE MAXIMAL VOLUNTARY CONTRACTION (MVC) OF KNEE EXTENSOR MUSCLES AND THE MAXIMAL ANAEROBIC ALACTACID POWER (WMAX) WERE ASSESSED IN A GROUP OF YOGA PRACTITIONERS (YO), LONG DISTANCE RUNNERS (LDR), SPRINTERS (SPR), KARATE PRACTITIONERS (KA) AND SEDENTARY CONTROL SUBJECTS (CON). EE WAS EVALUATED IN YO DURING A YOGA SESSION (EXECUTION OF A SEQUENCE OF SIX YOGA POSTURES, CALLED ASANAS). RESULTS: FM% WAS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER IN CON (24.2+/-2.6%) THAN IN OTHER GROUPS (18+/-1.9%, POOLED DATA, P<0.05). FFM% DID NOT DIFFER AMONG GROUPS. VO2MAX WAS HIGHER IN LDR (55.6+/-1.8 ML MIN-1 KG-1) COMPARED TO OTHER GROUPS (41.7+/-3 ML MIN-1 KG-1, POOLED DATA, P<0.05). MVC AND WMAX WERE HIGHER IN YO, SPR AND KA THAN IN LDR AND CON (P<0.05). IN YO, EE INCREASED IN COMPARISON TO BASELINE, DURING SIRASANA EXECUTION ONLY (+59%, P<0.05). CONCLUSION: THESE DATA SUGGEST THAT CHRONIC YOGA PRACTICE IS ASSOCIATED WITH 1) VALUES OF FM%, FFM%, MVC AND WMAX SIMILAR TO THOSE INDUCED BY SPORTS REQUIRING HIGH DEGREE OF FORCE AND POWER OF LOWER LIMB MUSCLES, WITH MAXIMAL AEROBIC PERFORMANCE SIMILAR TO CONTROL SUBJECTS; 2) LOW EE DURING MOST ASANAS EXECUTION. 2015 14 1603 14 MENTAL DEPRESSION AND KUNDALINI YOGA. IN CASES OF MENTAL DEPRESSION, THE PLASMA SEROTONIN, MELATONIN AND GLUTAMATE LEVELS ARE INCREASED ALONG WITH THE LOWERING OF URINARY - 5 - HYDROXYINDOLE ACETIC ACID, PLASMA MONOAMINE OXIDASE AND CORTISOL LEVELS FOLLOWING THREE AND SIX MONTHS PRACTICE OF KUNDALINI YOGA. THE PULSE RATE AND BLOOD PRESSURE IN THESE PATIENTS ARE ALSO LOWERED AFTER KUNDALINI YOGA PRACTICE. THUS, THE PRACTICE OF KUNDALINI YOGA HELPS TO MAINTAIN A PERFECT HOMEOSTASIS BY BRINGING AN EQUILIBRIUM BETWEEN THE SYMPATHETIC AND PARASYMPATHETIC ACTIVITIES AND IT CAN BE USED AS A NON - MEDICAL MEASURE IN TREATING PATIENTS WITH MENTAL DEPRESSION. 1986 15 859 22 EFFECT OF YOGA PRACTICE ON LEVELS OF INFLAMMATORY MARKERS AFTER MODERATE AND STRENUOUS EXERCISE. BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: TO EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF YOGA PRACTICE AND EXERCISE CHALLENGE ON TUMOUR NECROSIS FACTOR ALPHA (TNF-ALPHA), INTERLEUKIN-6 (IL-6) LEVELS AND LIPID PROFILE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: TWO HUNDRED AND EIGHTEEN SUBJECTS PARTICIPATED IN THE STUDY. ONE HUNDRED AND NINE VOLUNTEERS (51 MALES AND 58 FEMALES) IN THE AGE GROUP OF 20 TO 60 YEARS, WHO PRACTICED YOGA REGULARLY FOR OVER FIVE YEARS FOR A PERIOD OF ONE HOUR DAILY, PERFORMED A BOUT OF MODERATE EXERCISE AND A BOUT OF STRENUOUS EXERCISE AS PER STANDARDIZED SHUTTLE WALK TEST PROTOCOL. ANTHROPOMETRICALLY MATCHED, AGE MATCHED AND GENDER MATCHED SUBJECTS, WHO DID NOT PRACTICE YOGA (NON-YOGA GROUP) WERE CHOSEN AS CONTROLS (NON-YOGA, N=109). THE NON-YOGA GROUP ALSO PERFORMED SIMILAR EXERCISES. THE BLOOD SAMPLES OF BOTH THE GROUPS WERE COLLECTED BEFORE AND AFTER THE EXERCISES. TNF-ALPHA AND IL-6 WAS ANALYSED BEFORE AND AFTER THE EXERCISE BY SANDWICH ELISA (ENZYME LINKED IMMUNOSORBENT ASSAY). RESULTS: RESTING PLASMA TNF-ALPHA CONCENTRATION WAS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER IN NON-YOGA GROUP WHEN COMPARED TO YOGA GROUP (P<0.05). THERE WAS AN INCREASE IN TNF-ALPHA LEVELS IN BOTH THE GROUPS IN RESPONSE TO STRENUOUS EXERCISE. THERE WAS NO GENDER DIFFERENCE IN TNF-ALPHA AND IL-6 LEVELS BEFORE AND AFTER EXERCISE IN YOGA AND NON-YOGA GROUPS. CONCLUSION: REGULAR PRACTICE OF YOGA LOWERS BASAL TNF-ALPHA AND IL-6 LEVELS. IT ALSO REDUCES THE EXTENT OF INCREASE OF TNF-ALPHA AND IL-6 TO A PHYSICAL CHALLENGE OF MODERATE EXERCISE AND STRENUOUS EXERCISE. THERE IS NO SIGNIFICANT GENDER DIFFERENCE IN THE TNF-ALPHA AND IL-6 LEVELS. REGULAR PRACTICE OF YOGA CAN PROTECT THE INDIVIDUAL AGAINST INFLAMMATORY DISEASES BY FAVOURABLY ALTERING PRO-INFLAMMATORY CYTOKINE LEVELS. 2015 16 1452 22 INFLUENCE OF LONG-TERM SAHAJA YOGA MEDITATION PRACTICE ON EMOTIONAL PROCESSING IN THE BRAIN: AN ERP STUDY. DESPITE GROWING INTEREST IN MEDITATION AS A TOOL FOR ALTERNATIVE THERAPY OF STRESS-RELATED AND PSYCHOSOMATIC DISEASES, BRAIN MECHANISMS OF BENEFICIAL INFLUENCES OF MEDITATION PRACTICE ON HEALTH AND QUALITY OF LIFE ARE STILL UNCLEAR. WE PROPOSE THAT THE KEY POINT IS A PERSISTENT CHANGE IN EMOTIONAL FUNCTIONING, SPECIFICALLY THE MODULATION OF THE EARLY APPRAISAL OF MOTIVATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE OF EVENTS. THE MAIN AIM WAS TO STUDY THE EFFECTS OF LONG-TERM MEDITATION PRACTICE ON EVENT-RELATED BRAIN POTENTIALS (ERPS) DURING AFFECTIVE PICTURE VIEWING. ERPS WERE RECORDED IN 20 LONG-TERM SAHAJA YOGA MEDITATORS AND 20 CONTROL SUBJECTS WITHOUT PRIOR EXPERIENCE IN MEDITATION. THE MEDITATORS' MID-LATENCY (140-400MS) ERPS WERE ATTENUATED FOR BOTH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE PICTURES (I.E. THERE WERE NO AROUSAL-RELATED INCREASES IN ERP POSITIVITY) AND THIS EFFECT WAS MORE PROMINENT OVER THE RIGHT HEMISPHERE. HOWEVER, WE FOUND NO DIFFERENCES IN THE LONG LATENCY (400-800MS) RESPONSES TO EMOTIONAL IMAGES, ASSOCIATED WITH MEDITATION PRACTICE. IN ADDITION WE FOUND STRONGER ERP NEGATIVITY IN THE TIME WINDOW 200-300MS FOR MEDITATORS COMPARED TO THE CONTROLS, REGARDLESS OF PICTURE VALENCE. WE ASSUME THAT LONG-TERM MEDITATION PRACTICE ENHANCES FRONTAL TOP-DOWN CONTROL OVER FAST AUTOMATIC SALIENCE DETECTION, BASED ON AMYGDALA FUNCTIONS. 2014 17 1634 22 MODELING THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON THE PROGRESSION OF ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE IN A DISH. ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE (AD) ACCOUNTS FOR 80% OF ALL DEMENTIA CASES, MAKING IT THE MOST COMMON FORM OF DEMENTIA. AGING SERVES AS THE MAIN RISK FACTOR FOR AD, BUT EARLY ONSET AD CAN ALSO OCCUR IN INDIVIDUALS YOUNGER THAN 65 YEARS. AD RESULTS FROM PROGRESSIVE NEURODEGENERATION LEADING TO DYSFUNCTIONAL SYNAPTIC TRANSMISSION IN THE BRAIN. THE CASCADE HYPOTHESIS OF AD STATES THAT AMYLOID PRECURSOR PROTEIN (APP) METABOLISM BECOMES IMPAIRED EITHER BY MUTATION OR AN INTERLEUKIN-MEDIATED STRESS RESPONSE TO INJURY, RESULTING IN THE SPLICING OF HARMFUL OLIGOMERIC FORMS OF AMYLOID BETA (ABETA). THESE OLIGOMERS DISRUPT EXTRACELLULAR RECEPTOR BINDING, INTRACELLULAR FUNCTION, AND CELLULAR MEMBRANE INTEGRITY. YOGA AND MEDITATIVE PRACTICES SLOW THE PROGRESSION OF THE COGNITIVE DECLINE ASSOCIATED WITH AD. HOWEVER, THE BIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS UNDERLYING THIS THERAPEUTIC EFFECT REMAIN ELUSIVE. HERE, WE INVESTIGATED THE ABILITY OF NEUROTRANSMITTERS RELEASED DURING YOGA AND MEDITATIVE PRACTICES TO RESCUE NEURONS FROM SYNAPTIC DYSFUNCTION IN AN IN VITRO ALZHEIMER'S MODEL CREATED BY CULTURING BASAL FOREBRAIN CHOLINERGIC NEURONS WITH PHYSIOLOGICALLY RELEVANT LEVELS OF THE I-42 ISOFORM OF OLIGOMERIC ABETA (OALPHABETAI-42). WE FOUND THAT THE NEUROTRANSMITTERS DOPAMINE AND HISTAMINE PRODUCE A COOPERATIVE ACTION WITH SEROTONIN TO REVERSE THE LOSS OF CHOLINE ACETYLTRANSFERASE (CHAT) BY OALPHABETAI-42. THE LOSS OF CHAT, THE ENZYME RESPONSIBLE FOR PROCESSING THE CHOLINERGIC NEUROTRANSMITTER ACETYLCHOLINE, CONTRIBUTES TO THE SYNAPTIC DYSFUNCTION EXPERIENCED DURING AD. THESE NEUROTRANSMITTERS INHIBIT NITRIC OXIDE SYNTHESIS CAUSED BY OALPHABETAI-42, PREVENTING OXIDATIVE AND NITROSATIVE STRESS. SEROTONIN ACTIVATES AN ALTERNATE CLEAVAGE OF APP TO PRODUCE A FRAGMENT WITH KNOWN NEUROTROPHIC EFFECTS, GIVING IT THE UNIQUE ABILITY TO INHIBIT THE OALPHABETAI-42 PRODUCTION CYCLE. WE HYPOTHESIZE HERE THAT THESE CONCERTED ACTIONS LEAD TO THE PROTECTION OF CHOLINERGIC SYNAPTIC TRANSMISSION IN AD. 2018 18 447 14 CHANGED PATTERN OF REGIONAL GLUCOSE METABOLISM DURING YOGA MEDITATIVE RELAXATION. USING POSITRON EMISSION TOMOGRAPHY (PET), MEASUREMENTS OF THE REGIONAL CEREBRAL METABOLIC RATE OF GLUCOSE (RCMRGLC) ARE ABLE TO DELINEATE CEREBRAL METABOLIC RESPONSES TO EXTERNAL OR MENTAL STIMULATION. IN ORDER TO EXAMINE POSSIBLE CHANGES OF BRAIN METABOLISM DUE TO YOGA MEDITATION PET SCANS WERE PERFORMED IN 8 MEMBERS OF A YOGA MEDITATION GROUP DURING THE NORMAL CONTROL STATE (C) AND YOGA MEDITATIVE RELAXATION (YMR). WHEREAS THERE WERE INTRAINDIVIDUAL CHANGES OF THE TOTAL CMRGLC, THE ALTERATIONS WERE NOT SIGNIFICANT FOR INTERGROUP COMPARISON; SPECIFIC FOCAL CHANGES OR CHANGES IN THE INTERHEMISPHERIC DIFFERENCES IN METABOLISM WERE ALSO NOT SEEN; HOWEVER THE RATIOS OF FRONTAL VS. OCCIPITAL RCMRGLC WERE SIGNIFICANTLY ELEVATED (P LESS THAN 0.05) DURING YMR. THESE ALTERED RATIOS WERE CAUSED BY A SLIGHT INCREASE OF FRONTAL RCMRGLC AND A MORE PRONOUNCED REDUCTION IN PRIMARY AND SECONDARY VISUAL CENTERS. THESE DATA INDICATE A HOLISTIC BEHAVIOR OF THE BRAIN METABOLISM DURING THE TIME OF ALTERED STATE OF CONSCIOUSNESS DURING YMR. 1990 19 509 24 COMPARATIVE IMMEDIATE EFFECT OF DIFFERENT YOGA ASANAS ON HEART RATE AND BLOOD PRESSURE IN HEALTHY YOUNG VOLUNTEERS. INTRODUCTION: THIS STUDY PLANNED TO COMPARE IMMEDIATE CARDIOVASCULAR EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT YOGA ASANAS IN HEALTHY YOUNG VOLUNTEERS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: HEART RATE (HR), SYSTOLIC PRESSURE (SP), AND DIASTOLIC PRESSURE (DP), BLOOD PRESSURE (BP), WERE RECORDED USING THE NON INVASIVE BLOOD PRESSURE (NIBP) APPARATUS IN 22 HEALTHY YOUNG SUBJECTS, BEFORE AND AFTER THE PERFORMANCE OF DHANURASANA (DA), VAKRASANA (VA) (BOTH SIDES), JANUSIRASASANA (JSA) (BOTH SIDES), MATSYASANA AND SHAVASANA FOR 30 S. HR AND BP WERE FURTHER RECORDED DURING SUPINE RECOVERY AT 2, 4, 6, 8, AND 10 MIN. A REPEATED MEASURE OF ANOVA WAS USED FOR STATISTICAL ANALYSIS. RESULTS: THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN HR AND BP BOTH IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE ASANAS AS WELL AS DURING THE RECOVERY PERIOD. OVERALL COMPARISONS OF % CHANGES IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE PERFORMANCE OF THE ASANAS REVEALED SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES WITH REGARD TO HR THAT INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY AFTER DA. IN THE RECOVERY PHASE, THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT INTERGROUP DIFFERENCES FROM 2 MIN ONWARD IN BOTH SP AND DP. THE DECREASE OF SP AFTER VA (RIGHT SIDE) (VA-R) WAS SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER THAN SHAVASANA (4(TH), 6(TH), AND 8(TH) MIN) AND JSA (LEFT SIDE) (JSA-L) AT 6(TH) AND 8(TH) MIN. DP DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY AFTER PERFORMING JSA-L COMPARED TO VA-R AT THE 6(TH) AND 8(TH) MIN. DISCUSSION: THE CARDIOVASCULAR CHANGES IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE ASANAS AND DURING THE RECOVERY PHASE REVEAL INHERENT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE SELECTED POSTURES. THE RISE OF HR IN DA MAY BE ATTRIBUTED TO INCREASED SYMPATHETIC RESPONSE DUE TO THE RELATIVE DIFFICULTY OF THE POSTURE AS WELL AS ABDOMINAL COMPRESSION OCCURRING IN IT. THE EFFECT OF SUPINE RELAXATION IS MORE PRONOUNCED AFTER THE PERFORMANCE OF THE ASANAS AS COMPARED TO MERE RELAXATION IN SHAVASANA. THIS MAY BE ATTRIBUTED TO A NORMALIZATION AND RESULTANT HOMEOSTATIC EFFECT OCCURRING DUE TO A GREATER, HEALTHIER DE-ACTIVATION OF THE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM OCCURRING TOWING TO THE PRESENCE OF PRIOR ACTIVATION. THERE WERE ALSO SUBTLE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE RIGHT SIDED AND LEFT SIDED PERFORMANCE OF VA AND JSA THAT MAY BE OCCURRING DUE TO THE DIFFERENT INTERNAL STRUCTURES BEING EITHER COMPRESSED OR RELAXED ON EITHER SIDE. CONCLUSION: OUR STUDY PROVIDES INITIAL EVIDENCE OF DIFFERENTIAL CARDIOVASCULAR EFFECTS OF ASANAS AND SUBTLE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN RIGHT AND LEFT SIDED PERFORMANCE. FURTHER, CARDIOVASCULAR RECOVERY IS GREATER AFTER THE PERFORMANCE OF THE ASANAS AS COMPARED TO SHAVASAN; THUS, IMPLYING A BETTER RESPONSE WHEN EFFORT PRECEDES RELAXATION. 2014 20 897 20 EFFECT OF YOGASANA PRACTICE ON SYSTOLIC TIME INTERVALS. THERAPEUTIC VALUES OF YOGA PRACTICES ARE WELL DOCUMENTED IN THE ANCIENT INDIAN LITERATURE. IN THIS STUDY AN ATTEMPT HAS BEEN MADE TO SEE THE EFFECT OF YOGASANA PRACTICE ON CARDIAC FUNCTIONS BY MEASURING SYSTOLIC TIME INTERVALS (STI). THE ASANAS STUDIED ARE SIRSASANA, SARVANGASANA, HALASANA, PASCHIMOTTANASANA AND BHUJANGASANA. FIVE HEALTHY YOGASANA PRACTITIONERS WHO WHERE PRACTICING REGULARLY FOR MORE THAN A YEAR WERE THE SUBJECTS. THE RESULT OF THE STUDY WAS STATISTICALLY ANALYZED AND PRESENTED SYSTEMATICALLY HERE. 1990