1 989 121 EFFECTS OF HATHA YOGA ON CARDIAC HEMODYNAMIC PARAMETERS AND PHYSICAL CAPACITY IN CARDIAC REHABILITATION PATIENTS. PURPOSE: THE PURPOSE OF THE PRESENT STUDY WAS TO ASSESS THE EFFECT OF HATHA YOGA TRAINING THAT WAS ADDED TO THE STANDARD CARDIAC REHABILITATION (CR) PROGRAM ON THE CARDIAC HEMODYNAMIC PARAMETERS AND PHYSICAL CAPACITY OF PATIENTS WITH ST-ELEVATION MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION (STEMI). METHODS: THE STUDY INCLUDED 70 MALE PATIENTS AGED 45-65 YR WITH STEMI WHO WERE TREATED BY ANGIOPLASTY. PATIENTS WERE RANDOMIZED TO STANDARD CR (CONTROL GROUP) VERSUS STANDARD CR PLUS HATHA YOGA (EXPERIMENTAL GROUP). THE TRAINING PROGRAM LASTED FOR A TOTAL OF 24 D FOR EACH PATIENT, WITH DAY 1 AND DAY 24 USED FOR MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS (ELECTROCARDIOGRAM, SPIROERGOMETRIC SUBMAXIMAL TREADMILL TEST, AND ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY). THE REMAINING 22 D CONSISTED OF THE ACTUAL TRAINING. RESULTS: AFTER THE CR PROGRAM THE SPIROERGOMETRIC STRESS TEST PARAMETERS AND LEFT VENTRICULAR EJECTION FRACTION (LVEF) IMPROVED IN BOTH THE EXPERIMENTAL AND CONTROL GROUPS. THE MOST NOTABLE CHANGES IN ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY PARAMETERS AND PHYSICAL CAPACITY WERE IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP. THE RESULTS SHOWED SIGNIFICANT MAIN EFFECT OVER TIME, A TIME-VERSUS-GROUP INTERACTION IN LVEF, THE DURATION OF THE TEST, AND PEAK OXYGEN UPTAKE, AND A TIME-VERSUS-GROUP INTERACTION IN METABOLIC EQUIVALENTS (METS). WE ALSO NOTED THE IMPROVEMENT OF LEFT VENTRICULAR END-DIASTOLIC DIAMETER, LEFT VENTRICULAR END-SYSTOLIC DIAMETER, AND HEART RATE OVER TIME. CONCLUSION: THE RESULTS REVEALED BETTER EFFECTIVENESS IN THE CR PROGRAM WITH A MODIFIED HATHA YOGA TRAINING PROGRAM. HATHA YOGA TRAINING COULD BE RECOMMENDED AS AN ADJUNCT TO STANDARD CR. 2020
2 1501 21 INVERTED YOGA AND NEAR SYNCOPE: AN UNUSUAL DIAGNOSIS OF RIGHT VENTRICULAR MYXOMA. PRIMARY CARDIAC TUMORS ARE EXTREMELY RARE AND ARE DIFFICULT TO DIAGNOSE. ALTHOUGH USUALLY BENIGN IN NATURE, MYXOMAS REQUIRE SURGICAL RESECTION DUE TO THEIR INCREASED RISK OF EMBOLIC AND CARDIAC COMPLICATIONS, WITH THE TIMING OF RESECTION DEPENDENT ON THE PRESENTATION AND SIZE OF THE TUMOR. HOWEVER, IF DIAGNOSED EARLY, PATIENTS WITH PRIMARY BENIGN CARDIAC TUMORS HAVE EXCELLENT PROGNOSIS FOLLOWING SURGERY. THEREFORE, A HIGH INDEX OF SUSPICION AND A WIDE DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS ARE VERY IMPORTANT IN DETECTING RARE CONDITIONS THAT CAN AFFECT OTHERWISE HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS. WE PRESENT AN UNCOMMON CASE OF A RIGHT VENTRICULAR MYXOMA THAT WAS DISCOVERED WHEN THE PATIENT WAS PERFORMING INVERTED YOGA AND EXPERIENCED A NEAR SYNCOPAL EPISODE. PATIENT SUBSEQUENTLY UNDERWENT AN ECHOCARDIOGRAPHIC EVALUATION AND WAS FOUND TO HAVE A RIGHT VENTRICULAR MYXOMA THAT WAS EXCISED. ALTHOUGH RECURRENCE IS RARE, IT IS IMPORTANT FOR PHYSICIANS TO REMAIN VIGILANT AND CONTINUE CAREFUL AND CONSISTENT FOLLOW-UP FOR PATIENTS WITH A HISTORY OF A CARDIAC MYXOMA. 2018
3 1323 40 HEMODYNAMIC OBSERVATIONS OF TUMO YOGA PRACTITIONERS IN A HIMALAYAN ENVIRONMENT. BACKGROUND: FEW ATTEMPTS HAVE BEEN MADE TO EVALUATE THE PHYSIOLOGY OF TRADITIONAL EASTERN HEALTH PRACTICES. THE GOAL OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EVALUATE THE HEMODYNAMIC EFFECTS OF THE MYSTERIOUS BUDDHIST PRACTICE OF TUMO. TUMO IS A MEDITATIVE PRACTICE THAT PRODUCES INNER HEAT THROUGH THE ALLEGED CULTIVATION OF BODY ENERGY-CHANNELS. METHODS: THIS STUDY WAS PERFORMED BY MEMBERS OF AN INTERNATIONAL EXPEDITION TO THE HIMALAYAN MOUNTAINS IN THE REPUBLIC OF INDIA. THE STUDY WAS PERFORMED IN AN UNPOPULATED OUTDOOR MOUNTAINOUS AREA AT AN ALTITUDE OF 16,400 FT WITH AMBIENT TEMPERATURES BETWEEN -10 AND -15( DEGREES )C. TWO (2) COHORTS OF SUBJECTS WERE STUDIED: HEALTHY NON-YOGI VOLUNTEERS AND TUMO PRACTITIONERS. ALL OF THE SUBJECTS WERE STRIPPED DOWN TO THEIR UNDERCLOTHES AND EXPOSED TO THE SUBZERO ATMOSPHERIC TEMPERATURES FOR 5 MINUTES. THE VOLUNTEERS WERE THEN PASSIVELY REWARMED WHILE THE TUMO PRACTITIONERS PERFORMED TUMO FOR UP TO 10 MINUTES. BLOOD PRESSURE, HEART RATE, AND STROKE VOLUME INDEX (SVI) AND CARDIAC INDEX WERE MEASURED NONINVASIVELY USING A NICOM HEMODYNAMIC MONITOR, WHILE CAROTID BLOOD FLOW AND BIVENTRICULAR PERFORMANCE WERE DETERMINED ECHOCARDIOGRAPHICALLY AT EACH STAGE OF THE EXPERIMENT. THE TOTAL PERIPHERAL RESISTANCE INDEX (TPRI), LEFT VENTRICULAR EJECTION FRACTION (LVEF), AND TRICUSPID ANNULAR PLANE SYSTOLIC EXCURSION (TAPSE) WERE DETERMINED USING STANDARD FORMULA. RESULTS: FOURTEEN (14) SUBJECTS (SIX VOLUNTEERS AND EIGHT TUMO PRACTITIONERS) COMPLETED THE STUDY. THERE WAS ONE FEMALE SUBJECT IN EACH GROUP. WITH COLD EXPOSURE, THE SVI AND CAROTID BLOOD FLOW DECREASED WHILE THE TPRI INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY IN BOTH GROUPS. IN THE VOLUNTEER GROUP, THESE CHANGES RETUNED TO BASELINE WITH REWARMING. FOLLOWING TUMO, THE CARDIAC INDEX (4.8+/-0.6 VERSUS 4.0+/-0.5 L/M(2); P<0.01), CAROTID BLOOD FLOW (445+/-127 VERSUS 325+/-100 ML/MIN/M(2), P<0.01), LVEF (68+/-5 VERSUS 64+/-7%; P<0.05) AND TAPSE (2.9+/-0.4 VERSUS 2.4+/-0.5 CM; P<0.01) WERE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER WHEN COMPARED WITH BASELINE, WHILE THE TPRI WAS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER (1786+/-189 VERSUS 2173+/-281; P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: TUMO WAS ASSOCIATED WITH A HYPERDYNAMIC VASODILATED STATE WITH INCREASED BIVENTRICULAR PERFORMANCE. WE POSTULATE THAT TUMO RESULTS IN A MASSIVE INCREASE IN SYMPATHETIC ACTIVITY WITH ACTIVATION OF BROWN ADIPOSE TISSUE AND MARKED HEAT PRODUCTION. THE INCREASED HEAT PRODUCTION MAY EXPLAIN THE PARADOXICAL VASODILATATION IN TUMO PRACTITIONERS EXPOSED TO SUBZERO TEMPERATURES. 2014
4 1305 26 HATHA YOGA PRACTICES: ENERGY EXPENDITURE, RESPIRATORY CHANGES AND INTENSITY OF EXERCISE. THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO CRITICALLY OBSERVE THE ENERGY EXPENDITURE, EXERCISE INTENSITY AND RESPIRATORY CHANGES DURING A FULL YOGA PRACTICE SESSION. OXYGEN CONSUMPTION ([FORMULA: SEE TEXT]), CARBON DIOXIDE OUTPUT ([FORMULA: SEE TEXT]), PULMONARY VENTILATION ([FORMULA: SEE TEXT]E), RESPIRATORY RATE (FR) AND TIDAL VOLUME (VT), WERE MEASURED IN 16 PHYSICAL POSTURE (ASANAS), FIVE YOGA BREATHING MANEUVERS (BM) AND TWO TYPES OF MEDITATION. TWENTY MALE (AGE 27.3 +/- 3.5 YEARS, HEIGHT 166.6 +/- 5.4 CM AND BODY WEIGHT 58.8 +/- 9.6 KG) YOGA INSTRUCTORS WERE STUDIED. THEIR MAXIMAL OXYGEN CONSUMPTION ([FORMULA: SEE TEXT]) WAS RECORDED. THE EXERCISE INTENSITY IN ASANAS WAS EXPRESSED IN PERCENTAGE [FORMULA: SEE TEXT] . IN ASANAS, EXERCISE INTENSITY VARIED FROM 9.9 TO 26.5% OF [FORMULA: SEE TEXT] . HIGHEST ENERGY COST WAS 3.02 KCAL MIN(-1). IN BM HIGHEST [FORMULA: SEE TEXT]E WAS 53.7 +/- 15.5 L MIN(-1). VT WAS 0.97 +/- 0.59, 1.41 +/- 1.27 AND 1.28 +/- L/BREATH WITH CORRESPONDING FR OF 14.0 +/- 5.3, 10.0 +/- 6.35, 10.0 +/- 5.8 BREATHS/MIN. AVERAGE ENERGY EXPENDITURE IN ASANAS, BM AND MEDITATION WERE 2.29, 1.91 AND 1.37 KCAL MIN(-1), RESPECTIVELY. METABOLIC RATE WAS GENERALLY IN THE RANGE OF 1-2 METABOLIC EQUIVALENTS (MET) EXCEPT IN THREE ASANAS WHERE IT WAS >2 MET. [FORMULA: SEE TEXT] WAS 0.27 +/- 0.05 AND 0.24 +/- 0.04 L MIN(-1) IN MEDITATION AND SHAVASANA, RESPECTIVELY. ALTHOUGH YOGIC PRACTICES ARE LOW INTENSITY EXERCISES WITHIN LACTATE THRESHOLD, PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT IS POSSIBLE OWING TO BOTH BETTER ECONOMY OF BREATHING BY BM AND ALSO BY IMPROVEMENT IN CARDIOVASCULAR RESERVE. OTHER FACTORS SUCH AS PSYCHO-PHYSIOLOGICAL AND BETTER RELAXATION MAY CONTRIBUTE TO IT. 2011
5 1322 22 HEMODYNAMIC AND PRESSOR RESPONSES TO COMBINATION OF YOGA AND BLOOD FLOW RESTRICTION. A COMBINATION OF YOGA AND BLOOD FLOW RESTRICTION, EACH OF WHICH ELICITS MARKED PRESSOR RESPONSES, MAY FURTHER INCREASE BLOOD PRESSURE AND MYOCARDIAL OXYGEN DEMAND. TO DETERMINE THE IMPACT OF A COMBINATION OF YOGA AND BLOOD FLOW RESTRICTION ON HEMODYNAMIC RESPONSES, TWENTY YOUNG HEALTHY PARTICIPANTS PERFORMED 20 YOGA POSES WITH/WITHOUT BLOOD FLOW RESTRICTION BANDS PLACED ON BOTH LEGS. AT BASELINE, THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN ANY OF THE VARIABLES BETWEEN THE BLOOD FLOW RESTRICTION AND NON-BLOOD FLOW RESTRICTION CONDITIONS. BLOOD PRESSURE AND HEART RATE INCREASED IN RESPONSE TO THE VARIOUS YOGA POSES (P<0.01) BUT WERE NOT DIFFERENT BETWEEN THE BLOOD FLOW RESTRICTION AND NON-BLOOD FLOW RESTRICTION CONDITIONS. RATE-PRESSURE PRODUCTS, AN INDEX OF MYOCARDIAL OXYGEN DEMAND, INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY DURING YOGA EXERCISES WITH NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO CONDITIONS. RATING OF PERCEIVED EXERTION WAS NOT DIFFERENT BETWEEN THE CONDITIONS. BLOOD LACTATE CONCENTRATION WAS SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER AFTER PERFORMING YOGA WITH BLOOD FLOW RESTRICTION BANDS (P=0.007). CARDIO-ANKLE VASCULAR INDEX, AN INDEX OF ARTERIAL STIFFNESS, DECREASED SIMILARLY AFTER YOGA EXERCISE IN BOTH CONDITIONS WHILE FLOW-MEDIATED DILATION REMAINED UNCHANGED. IN CONCLUSION, THE USE OF LOWER BODY BLOOD FLOW RESTRICTION BANDS IN COMBINATION WITH YOGA DID NOT RESULT IN ADDITIVE OR SYNERGISTIC HEMODYNAMIC AND PRESSOR RESPONSES. 2020
6 630 23 DIFFERENCES IN ENERGY EXPENDITURE DURING HIGH-SPEED VERSUS STANDARD-SPEED YOGA: A RANDOMIZED SEQUENCE CROSSOVER TRIAL. OBJECTIVES: TO COMPARE ENERGY EXPENDITURE AND VOLUME OF OXYGEN CONSUMPTION AND CARBON DIOXIDE PRODUCTION DURING A HIGH-SPEED YOGA AND A STANDARD-SPEED YOGA PROGRAM. DESIGN: RANDOMIZED REPEATED MEASURES CONTROLLED TRIAL. SETTING: A LABORATORY OF NEUROMUSCULAR RESEARCH AND ACTIVE AGING. INTERVENTIONS: SUN-SALUTATION B WAS PERFORMED, FOR EIGHT MINUTES, AT A HIGH SPEED VERSUS AND A STANDARD-SPEED SEPARATELY WHILE OXYGEN CONSUMPTION WAS RECORDED. CALORIC EXPENDITURE WAS CALCULATED USING VOLUME OF OXYGEN CONSUMPTION AND CARBON DIOXIDE PRODUCTION. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: DIFFERENCE IN ENERGY EXPENDITURE (KCAL) OF HSY AND SSY. RESULTS: SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES WERE OBSERVED IN ENERGY EXPENDITURE BETWEEN YOGA SPEEDS WITH HIGH-SPEED YOGA PRODUCING SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER ENERGY EXPENDITURE THAN STANDARD-SPEED YOGA (MD=18.55, SE=1.86, P<0.01). SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES WERE ALSO SEEN BETWEEN HIGH-SPEED AND STANDARD-SPEED YOGA FOR VOLUME OF OXYGEN CONSUMED AND CARBON DIOXIDE PRODUCED. CONCLUSIONS: HIGH-SPEED YOGA RESULTS IN A SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER CALORIC EXPENDITURE THAN STANDARD-SPEED YOGA. HIGH-SPEED YOGA MAY BE AN EFFECTIVE ALTERNATIVE PROGRAM FOR THOSE TARGETING CARDIOMETABOLIC MARKERS. 2016
7 1691 21 OXYGEN CONSUMPTION AND RESPIRATION DURING AND AFTER TWO YOGA RELAXATION TECHNIQUES. CYCLIC MEDITATION (CM) IS A TECHNIQUE WHICH COMBINES "STIMULATING" AND "CALMING" PRACTICES, BASED ON A STATEMENT IN ANCIENT YOGA TEXTS SUGGESTING THAT SUCH A COMBINATION MAY BE ESPECIALLY HELPFUL TO REACH A STATE OF MENTAL EQUILIBRIUM. THE OXYGEN CONSUMPTION, BREATH RATE AND BREATH VOLUME OF 50 MALE VOLUNTEERS (GROUP MEAN AGE+/-SD, 27+/-6.3 YEARS) WERE ASSESSED BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER SESSIONS OF CM AND SESSIONS OF SUPINE REST IN THE CORPSE POSTURE (SHAVASANA, SH). THE SESSIONS WERE ONE DAY APART AND THE ORDER WAS ALTERNATED. THE OXYGEN CONSUMPTION, BREATH RATE AND BREATH VOLUME INCREASED DURING THE "STIMULATING" PRACTICES OF CM, RETURNED TO THE BASELINE DURING THE "CALMING" PRACTICES, AND THE OXYGEN CONSUMPTION DECREASED BY 19.3 PERCENT BELOW BASELINE VALUES AFTER CM. DURING THE SH SESSION THE OXYGEN CONSUMPTION, BREATH RATE AND BREATH VOLUME REDUCED; HOWEVER THE DECREASE IN OXYGEN CONSUMPTION AFTER SH WAS LESS THAN AFTER CM (I.E., 4.8 PERCENT). THE RESULTS SUPPORT THE IDEA THAT A COMBINATION OF YOGA POSTURES WITH SUPINE REST (IN CM) REDUCES THE OXYGEN CONSUMPTION MORE THAN RESTING SUPINE ALONE DOES. 2006
8 58 22 A COMPARISON OF EMG OUTPUT OF FOUR LOWER EXTREMITY MUSCLES DURING SELECTED YOGA POSTURES. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO USE SURFACE ELECTROMYOGRAPHY (EMG) ANALYSIS TO EXAMINE THE MUSCLE ACTIVATION OF THE ANTERIOR TIBIALIS (TA), GASTROCNEMIUS (GA), RECTUS FEMORIS (RF) AND BICEPS FEMORIS (BF) MUSCLES DURING SEVERAL YOGA POSES: TREE POSE (VRKSASHANA), HALF MOON POSE (ARDHA CHANDRASANA) AND WARRIOR III (VIRABADRASANA) WHEN COMPARED TO A REST POSE (MOUNTAIN POSE). TEN HEALTHY FEMALES WITH MORE THAN 3 MONTHS OF CONTINUOUS YOGA EXPERIENCE WHO PRACTICED AT LEAST 1.5H PER WEEK WERE RECRUITED. EMG ACTIVITY WAS RECORDED FROM THE AFOREMENTIONED MUSCLES DURING MOUNTAIN POSE ("REST") FOR 30S, THREE TIMES. SUBJECTS THEN PERFORMED THE FOLLOWING YOGA POSES IN A RANDOMIZED SEQUENCE WHILE SURFACE EMG ACTIVITY WAS RECORDED: TREE POSE, HALF-MOON, AND WARRIOR III. EACH POSE WAS HELD FOR 20S TO 30S AND PERFORMED THREE TIMES. EMG DATA WERE BAND PASS FILTERED AND THE ROOT MEAN SQUARE (RMS) WAS OBTAINED. THE PEAK RMS OF EACH OF THE RESTING TRIALS WAS OBTAINED AND AVERAGED TO PRODUCE AN AVERAGE PEAK RESTING RMS VALUE. THE STUDY REVEALED SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER EMG ACTIVITY IN TA AND GA IN ALL THREE POSES WHEN COMPARED TO BF AND RF. BF PRODUCED GREATER EMG ACTIVITY THAN RF IN WARRIOR III. IN CONCLUSION, SINGLE LIMB YOGA POSES REQUIRE INCREASED USE OF THE ANKLE MUSCULATURE WHEN COMPARED TO THIGH MUSCULATURE. 2019
9 1028 28 EFFECTS OF YOGA EXERCISE ON MAXIMUM OXYGEN UPTAKE, CORTISOL LEVEL, AND CREATINE KINASE MYOCARDIAL BOND ACTIVITY IN FEMALE PATIENTS WITH SKELETAL MUSCLE PAIN SYNDROME. [PURPOSE] THIS STUDY ANALYZED THE EFFECTS OF YOGA EXERCISE ON MAXIMUM OXYGEN UPTAKE, CORTISOL LEVEL, AND CREATINE KINASE MYOCARDIAL BOND ACTIVITY IN FEMALE PATIENTS WITH SKELETAL MUSCLE PAIN SYNDROME. [SUBJECTS] THE SUBJECTS WERE 24 FEMALE PATIENTS WITH SKELETAL MUSCLE PAIN SYNDROME. [METHODS] THE SUBJECTS WERE DIVIDED INTO 2 GROUPS: A YOGA EXERCISE GROUP (N = 12) AND A NON-EXERCISE CONTROL GROUP (N = 12). BODY COMPOSITION, MAXIMUM OXYGEN UPTAKE, CORTISOL LEVEL, AND CREATINE KINASE MYOCARDIAL BOND ACTIVITY WERE MEASURED BEFORE AND AFTER A 12-WEEK YOGA EXERCISE PROGRAM. [RESULTS] AFTER THE 12-WEEK YOGA EXERCISE PROGRAM, THE EXERCISE GROUP EXHIBITED SLIGHTLY HIGHER MAXIMUM OXYGEN UPTAKE AND CREATINE KINASE MYOCARDIAL BOND ACTIVITY THAN THE CONTROL GROUP, BUT THE DIFFERENCES WERE NOT STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT. IN ADDITION, THE EXERCISE GROUP EXHIBITED A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN CORTISOL LEVEL. [CONCLUSION] REGULAR AND CONTINUOUS AEROBIC EXERCISE SUCH AS YOGA IMPROVES BODY COMPOSITION, MAXIMUM OXYGEN UPTAKE, CORTISOL LEVEL, AND CREATINE KINASE MYOCARDIAL BOND ACTIVITY IN FEMALE PATIENTS WITH SKELETAL MUSCLE PAIN SYNDROME. 2015
10 642 33 DOES PRACTICING HATHA YOGA SATISFY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR INTENSITY OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY WHICH IMPROVES AND MAINTAINS HEALTH AND CARDIOVASCULAR FITNESS? BACKGROUND: LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THE METABOLIC AND HEART RATE RESPONSES TO A TYPICAL HATHA YOGA SESSION. THE PURPOSES OF THIS STUDY WERE 1) TO DETERMINE WHETHER A TYPICAL YOGA PRACTICE USING VARIOUS POSTURES MEETS THE CURRENT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR LEVELS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY REQUIRED TO IMPROVE AND MAINTAIN HEALTH AND CARDIOVASCULAR FITNESS; 2) TO DETERMINE THE RELIABILITY OF METABOLIC COSTS OF YOGA ACROSS SESSIONS; 3) TO COMPARE THE METABOLIC COSTS OF YOGA PRACTICE TO THOSE OF TREADMILL WALKING. METHODS: IN THIS OBSERVATIONAL STUDY, 20 INTERMEDIATE-TO-ADVANCED LEVEL YOGA PRACTITIONERS, AGE 31.4 +/- 8.3 YEARS, PERFORMED AN EXERCISE ROUTINE INSIDE A HUMAN RESPIRATORY CHAMBER (INDIRECT CALORIMETER) WHILE WEARING HEART RATE MONITORS. THE EXERCISE ROUTINE CONSISTED OF 30 MINUTES OF SITTING, 56 MINUTES OF BEGINNER-LEVEL HATHA YOGA ADMINISTERED BY VIDEO, AND 10 MINUTES OF TREADMILL WALKING AT 3.2 AND 4.8 KPH EACH. MEASURES WERE MEAN OXYGEN CONSUMPTION (VO2), HEART RATE (HR), PERCENTAGE PREDICTED MAXIMAL HEART RATE (%MHR), METABOLIC EQUIVALENTS (METS), AND ENERGY EXPENDITURE (KCAL). SEVEN SUBJECTS REPEATED THE PROTOCOL SO THAT MEASUREMENT RELIABILITY COULD BE ESTABLISHED. RESULTS: MEAN VALUES ACROSS THE ENTIRE YOGA SESSION FOR VO2, HR, %MHR, METS, AND ENERGY/MIN WERE 0.6 L/KG/MIN; 93.2 BEATS/MIN; 49.4%; 2.5; AND 3.2 KCAL/MIN; RESPECTIVELY. RESULTS OF THE ICCS (2,1) FOR MEAN VALUES ACROSS THE ENTIRE YOGA SESSION FOR KCAL, METS, AND %MHR WERE 0.979 AND 0.973, AND 0.865, RESPECTIVELY. CONCLUSION: METABOLIC COSTS OF YOGA AVERAGED ACROSS THE ENTIRE SESSION REPRESENT LOW LEVELS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, ARE SIMILAR TO WALKING ON A TREADMILL AT 3.2 KPH, AND DO NOT MEET RECOMMENDATIONS FOR LEVELS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FOR IMPROVING OR MAINTAINING HEALTH OR CARDIOVASCULAR FITNESS. YOGA PRACTICE INCORPORATING SUN SALUTATION POSTURES EXCEEDING THE MINIMUM BOUT OF 10 MINUTES MAY CONTRIBUTE SOME PORTION OF SUFFICIENTLY INTENSE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY TO IMPROVE CARDIO-RESPIRATORY FITNESS IN UNFIT OR SEDENTARY INDIVIDUALS. THE MEASUREMENT OF ENERGY EXPENDITURE ACROSS YOGA SESSIONS IS HIGHLY RELIABLE. 2007
11 1578 33 MEASUREMENT OF THE EFFECT OF ISHA YOGA ON CARDIAC AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM USING SHORT-TERM HEART RATE VARIABILITY. BACKGROUND: BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF YOGA HAVE BEEN POSTULATED TO BE DUE TO MODULATION OF THE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM. OBJECTIVE: TO ASSESS THE EFFECT OF ISHA YOGA PRACTICES ON CARDIOVASCULAR AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM THROUGH SHORT-TERM HEART RATE VARIABILITY (HRV). DESIGN OF THE STUDY: SHORT-TERM HRV OF LONG-TERM REGULAR HEALTHY 14 (12 MALES AND 2 FEMALES) ISHA YOGA PRACTITIONERS WAS COMPARED WITH THAT OF AGE- AND GENDER-MATCHED 14 (12 MALES AND 2 FEMALES) NON-YOGA PRACTITIONERS. METHODS AND MATERIALS: ECG LEAD II AND RESPIRATORY MOVEMENTS WERE RECORDED IN BOTH GROUPS USING POLYRITE DURING SUPINE REST FOR 5 MIN AND CONTROLLED DEEP BREATHING FOR 1 MINUTE. FREQUENCY DOMAIN ANALYSIS [RR INTERVAL IS THE MEAN OF DISTANCE BETWEEN SUBSEQUENT R WAVE PEAKS IN ECG], LOW FREQUENCY (LF) POWER, HIGH FREQUENCY (HF) POWER, LF NORMALIZED UNITS (NU), HF NU, LF/HF RATIO] AND TIME DOMAIN ANALYSIS [STANDARD DEVIATION OF NORMAL TO NORMAL INTERVAL (SDNN), SQUARE OF MEAN SQUARED DIFFERENCE OF SUCCESSIVE NORMAL TO NORMAL INTERVALS (RMSSD), NORMAL TO NORMAL INTERVALS WHICH ARE DIFFERING BY 50 MS (NN50), AND PERCENTAGE OF NN50 (PNN50)] OF HRV VARIABLES WERE ANALYZED FOR SUPINE REST. TIME DOMAIN ANALYSIS WAS RECORDED FOR DEEP BREATHING. RESULTS: RESULTS SHOWED STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ISHA YOGA PRACTITIONERS AND CONTROLS IN BOTH FREQUENCY AND TIME DOMAIN ANALYSES OF HRV INDICES, WITH NO DIFFERENCE IN RESTING HEART RATE BETWEEN THE GROUPS. CONCLUSIONS: PRACTITIONERS OF ISHA YOGA SHOWED WELL-BALANCED BENEFICIAL ACTIVITY OF VAGAL EFFERENTS, AN OVERALL INCREASED HRV, AND SYMPATHOVAGAL BALANCE, COMPARED TO NON-YOGA PRACTITIONERS DURING SUPINE REST AND DEEP BREATHING. 2012
12 1881 23 REDUCED HYPOXIC VENTILATORY RESPONSE WITH PRESERVED BLOOD OXYGENATION IN YOGA TRAINEES AND HIMALAYAN BUDDHIST MONKS AT ALTITUDE: EVIDENCE OF A DIFFERENT ADAPTIVE STRATEGY? YOGA INDUCES LONG-TERM CHANGES IN RESPIRATORY FUNCTION AND CONTROL. WE TESTED WHETHER IT REPRESENTS A SUCCESSFUL STRATEGY FOR HIGH-ALTITUDE ADAPTATION. WE COMPARED VENTILATORY, CARDIOVASCULAR AND HEMATOLOGICAL PARAMETERS IN: 12 CAUCASIAN YOGA TRAINEES AND 12 CONTROL SEA-LEVEL RESIDENTS, AT BASELINE AND AFTER 2-WEEK EXPOSURE TO HIGH ALTITUDE (PYRAMID LABORATORY, NEPAL, 5,050 M), 38 ACTIVE LIFESTYLE HIGH-ALTITUDE NATIVES (SHERPAS) AND 13 CONTEMPLATIVE LIFESTYLE HIGH-ALTITUDE NATIVES WITH PRACTICE OF YOGA-LIKE RESPIRATORY EXERCISES (BUDDHIST MONKS) STUDIED AT 5,050 M. AT BASELINE, HYPOXIC VENTILATORY RESPONSE (HVR), RED BLOOD CELL COUNT AND HEMATOCRIT WERE LOWER IN CAUCASIAN YOGA TRAINEES THAN IN CONTROLS. AFTER 14 DAYS AT ALTITUDE, YOGA TRAINEES SHOWED SIMILAR OXYGEN SATURATION, BLOOD PRESSURE, RR INTERVAL COMPARED TO CONTROLS, BUT LOWER HVR (-0.44 +/- 0.08 VS. -0.98 +/- 0.21 L/MIN/M/%SAO(2), P < 0.05), MINUTE VENTILATION (8.3 +/- 0.9 VS. 10.8 +/- 1.6 L/MIN, P < 0.05), BREATHING RATE (INDICATING HIGHER VENTILATORY EFFICIENCY), AND LOWER RED BLOOD CELL COUNT, HEMOGLOBIN, HEMATOCRIT, ALBUMIN, ERYTHROPOIETIN AND SOLUBLE TRANSFERRIN RECEPTORS. HYPOXIC VENTILATORY RESPONSE IN MONKS WAS LOWER THAN IN SHERPAS (-0.23 +/- 0.05 VS. -0.63 +/- 0.09 L/MIN/M/%SAO(2), P < 0.05); VALUES WERE SIMILAR TO BASELINE DATA OF YOGA TRAINEES AND CAUCASIAN CONTROLS, RESPECTIVELY. RED BLOOD CELL COUNT AND HEMATOCRIT WERE LOWER IN MONKS AS COMPARED TO SHERPAS. IN CONCLUSION, CAUCASIAN SUBJECTS PRACTICING YOGA MAINTAIN A SATISFACTORY OXYGEN TRANSPORT AT HIGH ALTITUDE, WITH MINIMAL INCREASE IN VENTILATION AND WITH REDUCED HEMATOLOGICAL CHANGES, RESEMBLING HIMALAYAN NATIVES. RESPIRATORY ADAPTATIONS INDUCED BY THE PRACTICE OF YOGA MAY REPRESENT AN EFFICIENT STRATEGY TO COPE WITH ALTITUDE-INDUCED HYPOXIA. 2007
13 867 48 EFFECT OF YOGA REGIMEN ON LUNG FUNCTIONS INCLUDING DIFFUSION CAPACITY IN CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE PATIENTS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY. BACKGROUND: LUNG FUNCTIONS ARE FOUND TO BE IMPAIRED IN CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE (CAD), CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE, LEFT VENTRICULAR DYSFUNCTION, AND AFTER CARDIAC SURGERY. DIFFUSION CAPACITY PROGRESSIVELY WORSENS AS THE SEVERITY OF CAD INCREASES DUE TO REDUCTION IN LUNG TISSUE PARTICIPATING IN GAS EXCHANGE. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: PRANAYAMA BREATHING EXERCISES AND YOGIC POSTURES MAY PLAY AN IMPRESSIVE ROLE IN IMPROVING CARDIO-RESPIRATORY EFFICIENCY AND FACILITATING GAS DIFFUSION AT THE ALVEOLO-CAPILLARY MEMBRANE. THIS STUDY WAS DONE TO SEE THE EFFECT OF YOGA REGIMEN ON LUNG FUNCTIONS PARTICULARLY DIFFUSION CAPACITY IN CAD PATIENTS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A TOTAL OF 80 STABLE CAD PATIENTS BELOW 65 YEARS OF AGE OF BOTH SEXES WERE SELECTED AND RANDOMIZED INTO TWO GROUPS OF 40 EACH. GROUP I CAD PATIENTS WERE GIVEN YOGA REGIMEN FOR 3 MONTHS WHICH CONSISTED OF YOGIC POSTURES, PRANAYAMA BREATHING EXERCISES, DIETARY MODIFICATION, AND HOLISTIC TEACHING ALONG WITH THEIR CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE WHILE GROUP II CAD PATIENTS WERE PUT ONLY ON CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE. LUNG FUNCTIONS INCLUDING DIFFUSION CAPACITY WERE RECORDED THRICE IN BOTH THE GROUPS: 0 DAY AS BASELINE, 22(ND) DAY AND ON 90(TH) DAY BY USING COMPUTERIZED MS MEDISOFT CARDIO-RESPIRATORY INSTRUMENT, HYP'AIR COMPACT MODEL OF CARDIO-RESPIRATORY TESTING MACHINE WAS MANUFACTURED BY P K MORGAN, INDIA. THE RECORDED PARAMETERS WERE STATISTICALLY ANALYZED BY REPEATED MEASURES ANOVA FOLLOWED BY TUKEY'S TEST IN BOTH THE GROUPS. CARDIOVASCULAR PARAMETERS WERE ALSO COMPARED BEFORE AND AFTER INTERVENTION IN BOTH THE GROUPS. RESULTS: STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS WERE SEEN IN SLOW VITAL CAPACITY, FORCED VITAL CAPACITY, PEAK EXPIRATORY FLOW RATE, MAXIMUM VOLUNTARY VENTILATION, AND DIFFUSION FACTOR/ TRANSFER FACTOR OF LUNG FOR CARBON MONOXIDE AFTER 3 MONTHS OF YOGA REGIMEN IN GROUP I. FORCED EXPIRATORY VOLUME IN 1(ST) SEC (FEV1), AND FEV1 % ALSO SHOWED A TREND TOWARD IMPROVEMENT ALTHOUGH NOT STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT. HR, SBP AND DBP ALSO SHOWED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN GROUP-I PATIENTS WHO FOLLOWED YOGA REGIMEN. CONCLUSIONS: YOGA REGIMEN WAS FOUND TO IMPROVE LUNG FUNCTIONS AND DIFFUSION CAPACITY IN CAD PATIENTS BESIDES IMPROVING CARDIOVASCULAR FUNCTIONS. THUS, IT CAN BE USED AS A COMPLIMENTARY OR ADJUNCT THERAPY ALONG WITH THE CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE FOR THEIR TREATMENT AND REHABILITATION. 2015
14 1045 33 EFFECTS OF YOGA INTERVENTIONS PRACTISED IN HEATED AND THERMONEUTRAL CONDITIONS ON ENDOTHELIUM-DEPENDENT VASODILATATION: THE BIKRAM YOGA HEART STUDY. NEW FINDINGS: WHAT IS THE CENTRAL QUESTION OF THIS STUDY? DOES THE HEATED PRACTICE ENVIRONMENT ENHANCE THE EFFECTS OF BIKRAM YOGA ON ENDOTHELIUM-DEPENDENT VASODILATATION IN HEALTHY, MIDDLE-AGED ADULTS? WHAT IS THE MAIN FINDING AND ITS IMPORTANCE? THE PRIMARY FINDING FROM THIS INVESTIGATION IS THAT THE HATHA YOGA POSTURES IN THE BIKRAM YOGA SERIES PRODUCE SIMILAR ENHANCEMENTS IN ENDOTHELIUM-DEPENDENT VASODILATATION IN HEALTHY, MIDDLE-AGED ADULTS REGARDLESS OF ENVIRONMENTAL TEMPERATURE. THESE FINDINGS HIGHLIGHT THE EFFICACY OF YOGA POSTURES IN PRODUCING IMPROVEMENTS IN VASCULAR HEALTH AND DOWNPLAY THE NECESSITY OF THE HEATED PRACTICE ENVIRONMENT IN INDUCING VASCULAR ADAPTATIONS. ABSTRACT: WE HAVE PREVIOUSLY DOCUMENTED IMPROVEMENTS IN ENDOTHELIUM-DEPENDENT VASODILATATION WITH A BIKRAM (HOT) YOGA INTERVENTION IN MIDDLE-AGED ADULTS. AT PRESENT, THE EFFECT OF ENVIRONMENTAL TEMPERATURE IN HOT YOGA ON ENDOTHELIAL FUNCTION IS UNKNOWN. THE PURPOSE OF THIS INVESTIGATION WAS TO DETERMINE THE EFFECTS OF BIKRAM YOGA INTERVENTIONS PERFORMED IN HEATED OR THERMONEUTRAL CONDITIONS ON ENDOTHELIUM-DEPENDENT VASODILATATION. FIFTY-TWO SEDENTARY BUT APPARENTLY HEALTHY ADULTS AGED 40-60 YEARS WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO ONE OF THREE GROUPS: BIKRAM YOGA PRACTISED AT 40.5 DEGREES C (N = 19), BIKRAM YOGA PRACTISED AT 23 DEGREES C (N = 14) OR SEDENTARY TIME CONTROL (N = 19). THE YOGA INTERVENTIONS CONSISTED OF 90 MIN BIKRAM YOGA CLASSES THREE TIMES A WEEK FOR 12 WEEKS. ENDOTHELIUM-DEPENDENT VASODILATATION WAS MEASURED NON-INVASIVELY USING BRACHIAL ARTERY FLOW-MEDIATED DILATATION (FMD). BODY FAT PERCENTAGE DETERMINED VIA DUAL-ENERGY X-RAY ABSORPTIOMETRY WAS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER IN THE HOT YOGA GROUP AFTER THE INTERVENTION THAN IN THE THERMONEUTRAL YOGA AND CONTROL CONDITIONS. BRACHIAL ARTERY FMD INCREASED (P < 0.05) IN THE THERMONEUTRAL YOGA GROUP AND TENDED TO INCREASE IN THE HOT YOGA GROUP (P = 0.056). NO CHANGES OCCURRED IN THE CONTROL GROUP. THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN FMD CHANGE SCORES BETWEEN GROUPS. WE CONCLUDE THAT BIKRAM YOGA PRACTISED IN THERMONEUTRAL CONDITIONS IMPROVED ENDOTHELIUM-DEPENDENT VASODILATATION IN HEALTHY, MIDDLE-AGED ADULTS. THESE NEW FINDINGS HIGHLIGHT THE EFFECTIVENESS OF HATHA YOGA POSTURES ALONE, IN THE ABSENCE OF A HEATED PRACTICE ENVIRONMENT, IN IMPROVING VASCULAR HEALTH AND ARE OF CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE GIVEN THE INCREASED PROPENSITY FOR HEAT INTOLERANCE IN AGEING ADULTS. 2018
15 552 31 CORE MUSCLE FUNCTION DURING SPECIFIC YOGA POSES. OBJECTIVE: TO ASSESS THE POTENTIAL USE OF 11 YOGA POSES IN SPECIFIC TRAINING AND REHABILITATION PROGRAMS VIA EXAMINATION OF THE MUSCLE ACTIVATION PATTERNS IN SELECTED TRUNK AND HIP MUSCLES. DESIGN: REPEATED-MEASURES DESCRIPTIVE STUDY. SETTING: UNIVERSITY LABORATORY, US. PARTICIPANTS: THIRTY HEALTHY YOGA PRACTITIONERS WITH MORE THAN 3 MONTHS YOGA PRACTICE EXPERIENCE (MEAN AGE+/-SD, 32.0+/-12.3 Y; 8 M/22 F) PARTICIPATED. INTERVENTIONS: SURFACE ELECTROMYOGRAPHIC SIGNALS OF UPPER RECTUS ABDOMINIS, LOWER RECTUS ABDOMINIS, LONGISSIMUS THORACIS, EXTERNAL OBLIQUE ABDOMINIS AND GLUTEUS MAXIMUM MUSCLE WERE RECORDED IN 11 YOGA POSES: HALFWAY LIFT, FORWARD FOLD, DOWNWARD FACING DOG, UPWARD FACING DOG, HIGH PLANK, LOW PLANK, CHAIR, MOUNTAIN WITH ARMS DOWN, MOUNTAIN WITH ARMS UP, WARRIOR 1 (BOTH SIDES). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: ROOT MEAN SQUARE VALUES OF EACH MUSCLE DURING EACH POSE, NORMALIZED BY THE MAXIMAL VOLUNTARY CONTRACTION. RESULTS: THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT MAIN EFFECTS OF POSE (P<.001) AND MUSCLE (P<.001), AND A SIGNIFICANT POSEXMUSCLE INTERACTION (P=.001). THE POST HOC ANALYSIS REVEALED UNIQUE PATTERNS FOR THE FIVE MUSCLES OF INTEREST FOR EACH OF THE 11 POSES (P<.024). CONCLUSIONS: VARIATIONS IN CORE MUSCLE FIRING PATTERNS DEPEND ON THE TRUNK AND PELVIC POSITIONS DURING THESE POSES. TRAINING PROGRAMS CAN BE DEVELOPED BY CHOOSING PARTICULAR POSES TO TARGET SPECIFIC CORE MUSCLES FOR ADDRESSING LOW BACK PAIN AND DECLINES IN PERFORMANCE. THE HIGH PLANK, LOW PLANK AND DOWNWARD FACING DOG POSES ARE EFFECTIVE FOR STRENGTHENING EXTERNAL OBLIQUE ABDOMINIS, CHAIR AND WARRIOR 1 POSES FOR TARGETING GLUTEUS MAXIMUM, AND CHAIR AND HALFWAY LIFT POSES FOR STRENGTHENING LONGISSIMUS THORACIS. AND THESE THREE MUSCLES COULD BE STRENGTHENED BY THE UPWARD FACING DOG POSE. 2014
16 1147 39 ENERGY EXPENDITURE DURING A VINYASA YOGA SESSION. BACKGROUND: VINYASA YOGA HAS BEEN RECENTLY PROMOTED AS ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR MINDFUL EXERCISES TO IMPROVE OVERALL HEALTH, INCLUDING BODY WEIGHT MANAGEMENT. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO DETERMINE THE METABOLIC RESPONSE OF 24 MODERATELY TRAINED INDIVIDUALS DURING A 90-MIN GROUP VINYASA YOGA ROUTINE. METHODS: HEART RATE (HR) TIME COURSE OF 12 MALES AND 12 FEMALES (AGE: 39+/-7.33 YEARS) WAS RECORDED DURING TWO GROUP VINYASA YOGA SESSIONS CONSISTED OF FOUR SECTIONS (WARM-UP, HIGH-INTENSITY SURYA NAMASKAR (HSN), NO SURYA NAMASKAR POSTURES, AND COOL-DOWN). MAXIMAL OXYGEN UPTAKE (VO<INF>2PEAK</INF>) AND MAXIMUM HR HAD BEEN ESTIMATED EARLIER AFTER A MAXIMAL TREADMILL TEST. VO<INF>2</INF> DURING VINYASA YOGA SESSIONS WAS ESTIMATED FROM INDIVIDUAL REGRESSION EQUATIONS USING THE RELATIONSHIP OF VO<INF>2</INF> AND HR VALUES DERIVED FROM VO<INF>2PEAK</INF> TEST, WHILE THE METABOLIC RATE (KCAL/MIN) WAS CALCULATED FROM THE RELATIONSHIP OF HR AND KCAL/MIN. TOTAL SESSION ENERGY CONSUMPTION WAS THE AVERAGE VALUE OF THE TWO YOGA SESSIONS. RESULTS: THE 2 (GENDER) X 4 (SECTIONS) MIXED ANOVA REVEALED NO SIGNIFICANT INTERACTION BETWEEN THE TWO FACTORS (P=0.101) FOR THE MEAN METABOLIC RATE (7.1+/-2.6 KCAL/MIN). MEAN METABOLIC RATE THOUGHT WAS HIGHER (P=0.015) IN MALES COMPARED TO FEMALES AT EACH SECTION. ALSO, SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES WERE FOUND AMONG THE FOUR VINYASA YOGA SECTIONS (P<0.001) IN THE RATE OF ENERGY EXPENDITURE, WITH HSN PRESENTING THE HIGHEST MEAN VALUES (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: IT SEEMS THAT SYSTEMATIC PARTICIPATION IN VINYASA YOGA MAY EFFECTIVELY IMPROVE CARDIORESPIRATORY FITNESS AND PROMOTE BODY WEIGHT LOSS, AS AN ALTERNATIVE METHOD TO TRADITIONAL AEROBIC EXERCISE. 2020
17 439 33 CARDIOVASCULAR, CELLULAR, AND NEURAL ADAPTATIONS TO HOT YOGA VERSUS NORMAL-TEMPERATURE YOGA. CONTEXT: CHRONIC HEAT EXPOSURE PROMOTES CARDIOVASCULAR AND CELLULAR ADAPTATIONS, IMPROVING AN ORGANISM'S ABILITY TO TOLERATE SUBSEQUENT STRESSORS. HEAT EXPOSURE MAY ALSO PROMOTE NEURAL ADAPTATIONS AND ALTER THE NEURAL-HORMONAL STRESS RESPONSE. HOT-TEMPERATURE YOGA (HY) COMBINES MIND-BODY EXERCISE WITH HEAT EXPOSURE. THE ADDED HEAT COMPONENT IN HY MAY INDUCE CARDIOVASCULAR AND CELLULAR CHANGES, ALONG WITH NEURAL BENEFITS AND MODULATION OF STRESS HORMONES. AIMS: THE PURPOSE OF THE PRESENT STUDY IS TO COMPARE THE CARDIOVASCULAR, CELLULAR HEAT SHOCK PROTEIN 70 (HSP70), NEURAL, AND HORMONAL ADAPTATIONS OF HY VERSUS NORMAL-TEMPERATURE YOGA (NY). SETTINGS AND DESIGN: TWENTY-TWO SUBJECTS (MALES = 11 AND FEMALES = 11, 26 +/- 6 YEARS) COMPLETED 4 WEEKS OF NY (N = 11) OR HY (N = 11, 41 DEGREES C, 40% HUMIDITY). YOGA SESSIONS WERE PERFORMED 3 TIMES/WEEK FOLLOWING A MODIFIED BIKRAM PROTOCOL. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: PRE- AND POSTTESTING INCLUDED (1) HEMODYNAMIC MEASURES DURING A HEAT TOLERANCE TEST AND MAXIMAL AEROBIC FITNESS TEST; (2) NEURAL AND HORMONAL ADAPTATIONS USING SERUM BRAIN-DERIVED NEUROTROPHIC FACTOR (BDNF) AND ADRENOCORTICOTROPIC HORMONE (ACTH), ALONG WITH A MENTAL STRESS QUESTIONNAIRE; AND (3) CELLULAR ADAPTATIONS (HSP70) IN PERIPHERAL BLOOD MONONUCLEAR CELLS (PBMCS). STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: WITHIN- AND BETWEEN-GROUP STUDENT'S T-TEST ANALYSES WERE CONDUCTED TO COMPARE PRE- AND POST-VO2 MAX, PERCEIVED STRESS, BDNF, HSP70, AND ACTH IN HY AND NY GROUPS. RESULTS: MAXIMAL AEROBIC FITNESS INCREASED IN THE HY GROUP ONLY. NO EVIDENCE OF HEAT ACCLIMATION OR CHANGE IN MENTAL STRESS WAS OBSERVED. SERUM BDNF SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED IN YOGA GROUPS COMBINED. ANALYSIS OF HSP70 SUGGESTED HIGHER EXPRESSION OF HSP70 IN THE HY GROUP ONLY. CONCLUSIONS: TWELVE SESSIONS OF HY PROMOTED CARDIOVASCULAR FITNESS AND CELLULAR THERMOTOLERANCE ADAPTATIONS. SERUM BDNF INCREASED IN RESPONSE TO YOGA (NY + HY) AND APPEARED TO NOT BE TEMPERATURE DEPENDENT. 2021
18 438 23 CARDIOVASCULAR AND RESPIRATORY EFFECT OF YOGIC SLOW BREATHING IN THE YOGA BEGINNER: WHAT IS THE BEST APPROACH? SLOW BREATHING INCREASES CARDIAC-VAGAL BAROREFLEX SENSITIVITY (BRS), IMPROVES OXYGEN SATURATION, LOWERS BLOOD PRESSURE, AND REDUCES ANXIETY. WITHIN THE YOGA TRADITION SLOW BREATHING IS OFTEN PAIRED WITH A CONTRACTION OF THE GLOTTIS MUSCLES. THIS RESISTANCE BREATH "UJJAYI" IS PERFORMED AT VARIOUS RATES AND RATIOS OF INSPIRATION/EXPIRATION. TO TEST WHETHER UJJAYI HAD ADDITIONAL POSITIVE EFFECTS TO SLOW BREATHING, WE COMPARED BRS AND VENTILATORY CONTROL UNDER DIFFERENT BREATHING PATTERNS (EQUAL/UNEQUAL INSPIRATION/EXPIRATION AT 6 BREATH/MIN, WITH/WITHOUT UJJAYI), IN 17 YOGA-NAIVE YOUNG HEALTHY PARTICIPANTS. BRS INCREASED WITH SLOW BREATHING TECHNIQUES WITH OR WITHOUT EXPIRATORY UJJAYI (P < 0.05 OR HIGHER) EXCEPT WITH INSPIRATORY + EXPIRATORY UJJAYI. THE MAXIMAL INCREASE IN BRS AND DECREASE IN BLOOD PRESSURE WERE FOUND IN SLOW BREATHING WITH EQUAL INSPIRATION AND EXPIRATION. THIS CORRESPONDED WITH A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN OXYGEN SATURATION WITHOUT INCREASE IN HEART RATE AND VENTILATION. UJJAYI SHOWED SIMILAR INCREASE IN OXYGEN SATURATION BUT SLIGHTLY LESSER IMPROVEMENT IN BAROREFLEX SENSITIVITY WITH NO CHANGE IN BLOOD PRESSURE. THE SLOW BREATHING WITH EQUAL INSPIRATION AND EXPIRATION SEEMS THE BEST TECHNIQUE FOR IMPROVING BAROREFLEX SENSITIVITY IN YOGA-NAIVE SUBJECTS. THE EFFECTS OF UJJAYI SEEMS DEPENDENT ON INCREASED INTRATHORACIC PRESSURE THAT REQUIRES GREATER EFFORT THAN NORMAL SLOW BREATHING. 2013
19 798 36 EFFECT OF YOGA LIFESTYLE IN PATIENTS WITH HEART FAILURE: A RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIAL. BACKGROUND: IN SPITE OF SIGNIFICANT ADVANCES IN THE MANAGEMENT OF HEART FAILURE (HF), MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY REMAIN HIGH. THEREFORE, THERE IS A NEED FOR ADDITIONAL STRATEGIES. WE DID A RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL TO STUDY EFFECT OF YOGA IN PATIENTS WITH HF IN TERMS OF QUALITY OF LIFE (QOL), LEFT VENTRICLE EJECTION FRACTION (LVEF), C-REACTIVE PROTEIN (CRP), AND NTPROBNP. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 60 PATIENTS WITH STABLE HF NEW YORK HEART ASSOCIATION CLASS II WITH LVEF 30%-40% WERE RANDOMIZED INTO CONTROL GROUP (CG) AND YOGA GROUP (YG). CG RECEIVED THE GUIDELINE-BASED THERAPY AND YG IN ADDITION PRACTICED THE YOGA, ONE HOUR DAILY FOR 3 MONTHS. ALL PATIENTS WERE ASSESSED FOR QOL, CRP, NTPROBNP, AND LVEF AT BASELINE AND AFTER 3 MONTHS. RESULTS: A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE WAS OBSERVED IN ALL FOUR PARAMETERS IN THE YG AS COMPARED TO THE CG (P < 0.01) AFTER 12 WEEKS. QOL AS ASSESSED BY MINNESOTA LIVING WITH HEART FAILURE QUESTIONNAIRE SCORE IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY IN YG AS COMPARED TO CG (10 V/S 14, P < 0.001). THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT WITHIN YG IN TERMS OF LVEF (33.4-36.8, P = 0.001), AND THE PERCENTAGE CHANGE IN LVEF WAS SIGNIFICANT BETWEEN THE GROUPS (10% V/S 5%, P = 0.001). NTPROBNP ALSO SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED BY 69.8% FROM 755 TO 220 PMOL/L IN YG AS COMPARED TO 39.3% IN CG (679-406 PMOL/L). CRP DECREASED BY 49.3% (5.36-2.73 MG/L) IN YG AND 35.8% (5.39-3.45 MG/L) IN CG. CONCLUSION: THE RESULT OF THIS PILOT STUDY SUGGESTS THAT ADDITION OF YOGA TO GUIDELINE-BASED THERAPY FOR HF PATIENTS SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVES QOL, LVEF, AND NTPROBNP AND REDUCES CRP LEVEL. LARGER STUDIES ARE NEEDED TO CONFIRM THESE FINDINGS. 2022
20 263 39 ACUTE CARDIOVASCULAR RESPONSES TO A SESSION OF BIKRAM YOGA: A PILOT UNCONTROLLED TRIAL. INTRODUCTION: MAIN CARDIOVASCULAR PARAMETERS SUCH AS HEART RATE (HR), BLOOD PRESSURE, AND MYOCARDIAL OXYGEN CONSUMPTION (MOC) ARE TIGHTLY REGULATED BY A MULTIFACTORIAL, NONLINEAR CONTROL SYSTEM. INCREASED HR BECAUSE OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IS OFTEN ACCOMPANIED BY AN INCREASE IN BLOOD PRESSURE. POSTURAL CHANGES HAVE AN EFFECT ON THE BARORECEPTORS, AND STRETCHING EXERCISES AND ISOMETRIC CONTRACTIONS MODULATE MUSCLE MECHANORECEPTORS ELICITING INCREASES IN BLOOD PRESSURE. HOWEVER, A HOT ENVIRONMENT INCREASES THE CORE TEMPERATURE INDUCING VASODILATION AND PLASMA VOLUME CHANGES THAT MIGHT CONTRIBUTE TO A DROP IN BLOOD PRESSURE. DURING THE PRACTICE OF BIKRAM YOGA, ALL THESE FACTORS CONVERGE AND LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THE RESULTING CHANGES IN BLOOD PRESSURE AND MOC. METHODS: SIXTEEN APPARENTLY HEALTHY FEMALE VOLUNTEERS, REGULAR PRACTITIONERS OF BIKRAM YOGA, WERE EVALUATED DURING A 90 MIN SESSION. SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE (SBP) AND DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE (DBP) WERE MEASURED IMMEDIATELY AFTER EACH POSTURE AND HR WAS MEASURED CONTINUOUSLY DURING THE PRACTICE. RESULTS: HR AND ESTIMATED MOC INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY OVER BASELINE DURING THE EXERCISE (+62.3% AND +63.6%, RESPECTIVELY). HR MEAN VALUE ACROSS THE ENTIRE BIKRAM YOGA SESSION WAS 126.6 +/- 14.3 BPM REACHING A MAXIMUM OF 168.1 +/- 20.2 BPM. SBP WAS NOT SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED OVER BASELINE AT ANY TIME DURING THE PRACTICE WITH A MEAN VALUE OF 117.0 +/- 10.1 MMHG AND DBP WAS SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED OVER BASELINE MOST OF THE TIME (-10.1%, MEAN 71.2 +/- 7.3 MMHG) WITH PARTICULAR DECLINE TOWARD THE END OF THE PRACTICE DURING THE FLOOR POSTURES. CONCLUSIONS: DBP DURING THE PRACTICE OF BIKRAM YOGA WAS SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT FROM THAT PREVIOUSLY REPORTED FOR NONHEATED HATHA YOGA FOR NORMOTENSIVE SUBJECTS. FURTHER STUDIES EVALUATING THE SAME GROUP AT BOTH CONDITIONS ARE NEEDED TO BETTER CHARACTERIZE THE MAGNITUDE OF THE CHANGES IN HR, SBP, DBP, AND MOC. 2019