1 741 106 EFFECT OF REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE ON RESPIRATORY REGULATION AND EXERCISE PERFORMANCE. YOGA ALTERS SPONTANEOUS RESPIRATORY REGULATION AND REDUCES HYPOXIC AND HYPERCAPNIC VENTILATORY RESPONSES. SINCE A LOWER VENTILATORY RESPONSE IS ASSOCIATED WITH AN IMPROVED ENDURANCE CAPACITY DURING WHOLE-BODY EXERCISE, WE TESTED WHETHER YOGIC SUBJECTS (YOGA) SHOW AN INCREASED ENDURANCE CAPACITY COMPARED TO MATCHED NON-YOGIC INDIVIDUALS (CON) WITH SIMILAR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY LEVELS. RESTING VENTILATION, THE VENTILATORY RESPONSE TO HYPERCAPNIA, PASSIVE LEG MOVEMENT AND EXERCISE, AS WELL AS ENDURANCE PERFORMANCE WERE ASSESSED. YOGA (N = 9), COMPARED TO CONTROL (N = 6), HAD A HIGHER TIDAL VOLUME AT REST (0.7+/-0.2 VS. 0.5+/-0.1 L, P = 0.034) AND A REDUCED VENTILATORY RESPONSE TO HYPERCAPNIA (33+/-15 VS. 47+/-15 L.MIN(-1), P = 0.048). A YOGA SUBGROUP (N = 6) WITH MAXIMAL PERFORMANCE SIMILAR TO CONTROL SHOWED A BLUNTED VENTILATORY RESPONSE TO PASSIVE CYCLING (11+/-2 VS. 14+/-2 L.MIN(-1), P = 0.039) AND A TENDENCY TOWARDS LOWER EXERCISE VENTILATION (33+/-2 VS. 36+/-3 L.MIN(-1), P = 0.094) WHILE CYCLING ENDURANCE (YOGA: 17.3+/-3.3; CON: 19.6+/-8.5 MIN, P = 0.276) DID NOT DIFFER. THUS, YOGA PRACTICE WAS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH IMPROVED EXERCISE CAPACITY NOR WITH SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN EXERCISE VENTILATION DESPITE A SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT RESPIRATORY REGULATION AT REST AND IN RESPONSE TO HYPERCAPNIA AND PASSIVE LEG MOVEMENT. 2016 2 2252 24 THE METABOLIC COST OF HATHA YOGA. TO DETERMINE THE METABOLIC AND HEART RATE (HR) RESPONSES OF HATHA YOGA, 26 WOMEN (19-40 YEARS OLD) PERFORMED A 30-MINUTE HATHA YOGA ROUTINE OF SUPINE LYING, SITTING, AND STANDING ASANAS (I.E., POSTURES). SUBJECTS FOLLOWED IDENTICAL VIDEOTAPED SEQUENCES OF HATHA YOGA ASANAS. MEAN PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES WERE COMPARED TO THE PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES OF RESTING IN A CHAIR AND WALKING ON A TREADMILL AT 93.86 M.MIN(-1) [3.5 MILES PER HOUR (MPH)]. DURING THE 30-MINUTE HATHA YOGA ROUTINE, MEAN ABSOLUTE OXYGEN CONSUMPTION (VO(2)), RELATIVE VO(2), PERCENTAGE MAXIMAL OXYGEN CONSUMPTION (%VO(2)R), METABOLIC EQUIVALENTS (METS), ENERGY EXPENDITURE, HR, AND PERCENTAGE MAXIMAL HEART RATE (%MHR) WERE 0.45 L.MIN(-1), 7.59 ML.KG(-1).MIN(-1), 14.50%, 2.17 METS, 2.23 KCAL.MIN(-1), 105.29 B.MIN(-1), AND 56.89%, RESPECTIVELY. WHEN COMPARED TO RESTING IN A CHAIR, HATHA YOGA REQUIRED 114% GREATER O(2) (L.MIN(-1)), 111% GREATER O(2)(ML.KG(-1).MIN(-1)), 4,294% GREATER %VO(2)R, 111% GREATER METS, 108% GREATER KCAL.MIN(-1), 24% GREATER HR, AND 24% GREATER %MHR. WHEN COMPARED TO WALKING AT 93.86 M.MIN(-1), HATHA YOGA REQUIRED 54% LOWER O(2)(L.MIN(-1)), 53% LOWER O(2)(ML.KG(-1).MIN(-1)), 68% LOWER %VO(2)R, 53% LOWER METS, 53% LOWER KCAL.MIN(-1), 21% LOWER HR, AND 21% LOWER %MHR. THE HATHA YOGA ROUTINE IN THIS STUDY REQUIRED 14.50% VO(2)R, WHICH CAN BE CONSIDERED A VERY LIGHT INTENSITY AND SIGNIFICANTLY LIGHTER THAN 44.8% VO(2)R FOR WALKING AT 93.86 M.MIN(-1) (3.5 MPH). THE INTENSITY OF HATHA YOGA MAY BE TOO LOW TO PROVIDE A TRAINING STIMULUS FOR IMPROVING CARDIOVASCULAR FITNESS. ALTHOUGH PREVIOUS RESEARCH SUGGESTS THAT HATHA YOGA IS AN ACCEPTABLE FORM OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FOR ENHANCING MUSCULAR FITNESS AND FLEXIBILITY, THESE DATA DEMONSTRATE THAT HATHA YOGA MAY HAVE LITTLE, IF ANY, CARDIOVASCULAR BENEFIT. 2005 3 1676 29 OBJECTIVE AND SUBJECTIVE MEASURES OF EXERCISE INTENSITY DURING THERMO-NEUTRAL AND HOT YOGA. WHILE HOT YOGA HAS GAINED ENORMOUS POPULARITY IN RECENT YEARS, OWING IN PART TO INCREASED ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGE ASSOCIATED WITH EXERCISE IN THE HEAT, IT IS NOT CLEAR WHETHER HOT YOGA IS MORE VIGOROUS THAN THERMO-NEUTRAL YOGA. THEREFORE, THE AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO DETERMINE OBJECTIVE AND SUBJECTIVE MEASURES OF EXERCISE INTENSITY DURING CONSTANT INTENSITY YOGA IN A HOT AND THERMO-NEUTRAL ENVIRONMENT. USING A RANDOMIZED, CROSSOVER DESIGN, 14 PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED 2 IDENTICAL APPROXIMATELY 20-MIN YOGA SESSIONS IN A HOT (35.3 +/- 0.8 DEGREES C; HUMIDITY: 20.5% +/- 1.4%) AND THERMO-NEUTRAL (22.1 +/- 0.2 DEGREES C; HUMIDITY: 27.8% +/- 1.6%) ENVIRONMENT. OXYGEN CONSUMPTION AND HEART RATE (HR) WERE RECORDED AS OBJECTIVE MEASURES (PERCENTAGE OF MAXIMAL OXYGEN CONSUMPTION AND PERCENTAGE OF MAXIMAL HR (%HRMAX)) AND RATING OF PERCEIVED EXERTION (RPE) WAS RECORDED AS A SUBJECTIVE MEASURE OF EXERCISE INTENSITY. THERE WAS NO DIFFERENCE IN EXERCISE INTENSITY BASED ON PERCENTAGE OF MAXIMAL OXYGEN CONSUMPTION DURING HOT VERSUS THERMO-NEUTRAL YOGA (30.9% +/- 2.3% VS. 30.5% +/- 1.8%, P = 0.68). HOWEVER, EXERCISE INTENSITY WAS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER DURING HOT VERSUS THERMO-NEUTRAL YOGA BASED ON %HRMAX (67.0% +/- 2.3% VS. 60.8% +/- 1.9%, P = 0.01) AND RPE (12 +/- 1 VS. 11 +/- 1, P = 0.04). ACCORDING TO ESTABLISHED EXERCISE INTENSITIES, HOT YOGA WAS CLASSIFIED AS LIGHT-INTENSITY EXERCISE BASED ON PERCENTAGE OF MAXIMAL OXYGEN CONSUMPTION BUT MODERATE-INTENSITY EXERCISE BASED ON %HRMAX AND RPE WHILE THERMO-NEUTRAL YOGA WAS CLASSIFIED AS LIGHT-INTENSITY EXERCISE BASED ON PERCENTAGE OF MAXIMAL OXYGEN UPTAKE, %HRMAX, AND RPE. DESPITE THE ADDED HEMODYNAMIC STRESS AND PERCEPTION THAT YOGA IS MORE STRENUOUS IN A HOT ENVIRONMENT, WE OBSERVED SIMILAR OXYGEN CONSUMPTION DURING HOT VERSUS THERMO-NEUTRAL YOGA, CLASSIFYING BOTH EXERCISE MODALITIES AS LIGHT-INTENSITY EXERCISE. 2018 4 1693 28 OXYGEN CONSUMPTION DURING VINIYOGA PRACTICE IN ADULTS. CONTEXT: THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO MEASURE THE OXYGEN CONSUMPTION (VO2) DURING VINIYOGA YOGA MOVEMENTS (ASANAS) AND TO COMPARE VO2 WALKING AMONG ADULTS. METHODS: YOGA PRACTITIONERS (N = 10) WERE RECRUITED TO MEASURE VO2 WHILE AT REST (30 MIN), PRACTICING YOGA (16 MOVEMENTS WITH DIFFERENT VARIATIONS), AND TREADMILL WALKING AT 2 MPH (10 MIN) AND 3 MPH (10 MIN). VO2 WAS MEASURED USING A WHOLE-ROOM INDIRECT CALORIMETRY. EACH YOGA MOVEMENT WAS CATEGORIZED BY BODY ORIENTATION AS STANDING, LYING, AND SITTING. THE DIFFERENCES IN VO2 BETWEEN YOGA AND WALKING WERE EXAMINED USING PEARSON'S CORRELATIONS. DIFFERENCES IN VO2 BETWEEN POSES (STANDING, SITTING, AND LYING) WERE EXAMINED USING LINEAR REGRESSION MODELS. VO2. RESULTS: MEAN YOGA-VO2 FOR THE ENTIRE YOGA SESSION WAS 3.7 (STANDARD DEVIATION [SD] 0.43, RANGE: 4.4-8.9) ML/KG/MIN. YOGA-VO2 VARIED BY BODY ORIENTATION: STANDING = 7.5 (SD = 1.5) ML/KG/MIN, LYING = 5.3 (SD = 1.0) ML/KG/MIN, AND SITTING = 5.4 (SD = 1.1) ML/KG/MIN. AFTER ADJUSTING FOR BODY MASS, FREQUENCY OF YOGA PRACTICE, AND RESTING ENERGY EXPENDITURE, FEMALE GENDER WAS NEGATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH MEAN YOGA VO2 FOR STANDING (B = -112.19, P < 0.05), LYING (B = -141.87, P < 0.05), AND SITTING (B = -129.96, P < 0.05). MEAN VO2 FOR WALKING 2 MPH WAS COMPARABLE WITH SITTING (R = 0.836, P < 0.05) AND LYING (R = 0.735, P < 0.05) WHEREAS WALKING AT 3 MPH WAS COMPARABLE WITH STANDING (R = 0.718, P < 0.05) AND SITTING (R = 0.760, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: WE CONCLUDE THAT VO2 DURING YOGA PRACTICE IS COMPARABLE TO VO2 DURING SLOW TREADMILL WALKING AND MAY VARY BASED ON GENDER AND BODY ORIENTATION. 2018 5 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 6 1147 23 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 (VO2PEAK) AND MAXIMUM HR HAD BEEN ESTIMATED EARLIER AFTER A MAXIMAL TREADMILL TEST. VO2 DURING VINYASA YOGA SESSIONS WAS ESTIMATED FROM INDIVIDUAL REGRESSION EQUATIONS USING THE RELATIONSHIP OF VO2 AND HR VALUES DERIVED FROM VO2PEAK 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 7 2232 24 THE IMPACT OF YOGA ON INSPIRATORY MUSCLE PERFORMANCE IN VETERANS WITH COPD: A PILOT STUDY. CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE (COPD) CAUSES RESPIRATORY MUSCLE WEAKNESS THAT LEADS TO DISABLING DYSPNEA AND POOR FUNCTIONAL PERFORMANCE. THERAPIES ARE OFTEN GEARED TO IMPROVE INSPIRATORY MUSCLE PERFORMANCE. YOGA HAS BEEN SHOWN TO IMPROVE EXERCISE CAPACITY, QUALITY OF LIFE, AND SOME PULMONARY FUNCTION MEASURES IN COPD, BUT LITTLE RESEARCH HAS EXAMINED THE EFFECTS OF YOGA TRAINING ON INSPIRATORY MUSCLE PERFORMANCE. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA TRAINING ON INSPIRATORY MUSCLE PERFORMANCE IN MILITARY VETERANS USING THE TEST OF INCREMENTAL RESPIRATORY ENDURANCE (TIRE). A PROSPECTIVE PILOT STUDY EXAMINED A 6-WEEK YOGA TRAINING PROGRAM CONSISTING OF ASANA (POSES) AND PRANAYAMA (CONTROLLED BREATHING). SUBJECTS HAD BASELINE INSPIRATORY MUSCLE WEAKNESS. THE TIRE MEASURED INSPIRATORY MUSCLE PERFORMANCE VIA THE PRO2 DEVICE, PROVIDING MAXIMAL INSPIRATORY PRESSURE, SUSTAINED MAXIMAL INSPIRATORY PRESSURE, AND INSPIRATORY DURATION. SECONDARY MEASURES INCLUDED 6-MINUTE WALK DISTANCE, ST. GEORGE RESPIRATORY QUESTIONNAIRE, HOSPITAL ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION SCALE, AND SPIROMETRY. MEAN AGE AND BMI OF SUBJECTS WERE 67 +/- 3.6 YEARS AND 20.7 +/- 3.3, RESPECTIVELY. THE MAJORITY OF SUBJECTS HAD SEVERE (28.7%) OR VERY SEVERE (57.1%) COPD. STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT IMPROVE M E N T S WERE SEEN IN MAXIMAL INSPIRATORY PRESSURE (39.0 +/- 14.1 CMH2O TO 56.4 +/- 20.6 CMH2O) AND SUSTAINED MAXIMAL INSPIRATORY PRESSURE (244.1 +/- 100.6 PTU TO 308.1 +/- 121.2 PTU). NO STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS WE RE OBSERVED IN 6-MINUTE WALK DISTANCE, ST. GEORGE RESPIRATORY QUESTIONNAIRE, HOSPITAL ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION SCALE, OR SPIROMETRY. YOGA TRAINING HAS THE POTENTIAL IN IMPROVE INSPIRATORY MUSCLE PERFORMANCE IN VETERANS WITH SEVERE TO VERY SEVERE COPD WHO PRESENT WITH INSPIRATORY MUSCLE WEAKNESS. THIS IS OF IMPORTANCE BECAUSE IMPROVING INSPIRA-TORY MUSCLE PERFORMANCE HAS BEEN SHOWN TO IMPROVE COPD OUTCOMES. 2021 8 438 33 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 9 637 29 DO 12-WEEK YOGA PROGRAM INFLUENCE RESPIRATORY FUNCTION OF ELDERLY WOMEN? AGING PRODUCES SEVERAL RESPIRATORY LIMITATIONS AND REDUCES TOLERANCE TO PHYSICAL EFFORTS, SOMETIMES LEADING TO PULMONARY DISEASES IN THE ELDERLY. THE LITERATURE DRAWS ATTENTION TO THE POSSIBLE BENEFITS OF YOGA PRACTICE AMONG THE ELDERLY, PRESENTING EVIDENCE FOR SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN QUALITY OF LIFE. IT WAS HYPOTHESIZED THAT YOGA PRACTICE CAN IMPROVE RESPIRATORY FUNCTION IN THE ELDERLY. THE EFFECTS OF A YOGA PROGRAM ON PULMONARY VOLUMES AND RESPIRATORY MUSCLE STRENGTH WERE VERIFIED IN 36 ELDERLY WOMEN DIVIDED INTO A YOGA GROUP [YG] (63.1 +/- 13.3 YEARS OF AGE) AND A CONTROL GROUP (61.0 +/- 6.9 YEARS OF AGE). MAXIMAL INSPIRATORY AND EXPIRATORY PRESSURE (MIP AND MEP) WERE ASSESSED BY A MANOVACUOMETER AND TIDAL VOLUME (VT), VITAL CAPACITY (VC) AND MINUTE VENTILATION (VE) WERE MEASURED BY A VENTILOMETER. THE PROGRAM COMPRISED 65 MIN SESSIONS, 3 TIMES/WEEK DURING 12 WEEKS. THE HEART RATE AND RESPIRATORY RATE DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE YG (76-39 +/- 8-03 VS. 74-61+/-10.26 BPM AND 18.61 +/- 3.15 VS. 16.72 +/- 3.12 RESP/MIN, RESPECTIVELY). IN THE YG, VT AND VE INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY (0.55 +/- 0.22 VS. 0.64 +/- 0.2 ML AND 9.19 +/- 2.39 VS. 10.05 +/- 2.11 ML, RESPECTIVELY), AS WELL AS VC (1.48 +/- 0.45 VS. 2.03 +/- 0.72 ML). IMPROVEMENTS WERE ALSO FOUND IN MIP AND MEP IN THE YG (62.17 +/- 14.77 VS. 73.06 +/- 20.16 CMH2O AND 80.56 +/- 23.94 VS. 86.39 +/- 20.16 CMH2O, RESPECTIVELY). IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT A 12-WEEK YOGA PROGRAM SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVES PULMONARY FUNCTION OF AGED WOMEN. 2014 10 2823 28 YOGA VERSUS AEROBIC ACTIVITY: EFFECTS ON SPIROMETRY RESULTS AND MAXIMAL INSPIRATORY PRESSURE. OBJECTIVE: TO CLARIFY WHETHER, IN HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS, PRACTICING YOGA CAN MODIFY MAXIMAL INSPIRATORY PRESSURE AND SPIROMETRIC INDICES WHEN COMPARED WITH THE PRACTICE OF AEROBIC EXERCISE. MEYHODS: A CONTROLLED CLINICAL TRIAL. A TOTAL OF 31 HEALTHY VOLUNTEERS WERE ALLOCATED TO PRACTICE AEROBIC EXERCISE (N = 15) OR TO PRACTICE YOGA (N = 16). THOSE IN THE FIRST GROUP SERVED AS CONTROLS AND ENGAGED IN AEROBIC EXERCISE FOR 45-60 MINUTES, TWICE A WEEK FOR THREE MONTHS. THOSE IN THE SECOND GROUP PRACTICED SELECTED YOGIC TECHNIQUES, ALSO IN SESSIONS OF 45-60 MINUTES, TWICE A WEEK FOR THREE MONTHS. FORCED VITAL CAPACITY, FORCED EXPIRATORY VOLUME IN ONE SECOND AND MAXIMAL INSPIRATORY PRESSURE WERE MEASURED BEFORE AND AFTER THE THREE MONTHS OF TRAINING. RESULTS: NO SIGNIFICANT ALTERATIONS WERE SEEN IN THE SPIROMETRIC INDICES. A SLIGHT, ALTHOUGH NOT SIGNIFICANT, IMPROVEMENT IN MAXIMAL INSPIRATORY PRESSURE WAS SEEN IN BOTH GROUPS. HOWEVER, THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE, SEEN IN BOTH GENDERS, BETWEEN THE ABSOLUTE DELTA (FINAL VALUE MINUS BASELINE VALUE) OF MAXIMAL INSPIRATORY PRESSURE FOR THE GROUP PRACTICING YOGA AND THAT OBTAINED FOR THE GROUP ENGAGING IN AEROBIC EXERCISE (MALES: 19.5 CM H2O VERSUS 2.8 CM H2O, P = 0.05; FEMALES: 20 CM H2O VERSUS 3.9 CM H2O, P = 0.01). CONCLUSION: NEITHER YOGA NOR AEROBIC EXERCISE PROVIDED A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN MAXIMAL INSPIRATORY PRESSURE AFTER THREE MONTHS. HOWEVER, THE ABSOLUTE VARIATION IN MAXIMAL INSPIRATORY PRESSURE WAS GREATER AMONG THOSE PRACTICING YOGA. 2006 11 642 27 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 12 630 16 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 13 992 18 EFFECTS OF HATHA YOGA PRACTICE ON THE HEALTH-RELATED ASPECTS OF PHYSICAL FITNESS. TEN HEALTHY, UNTRAINED VOLUNTEERS (NINE FEMALES AND ONE MALE), RANGING IN AGE FROM 18-27 YEARS, WERE STUDIED TO DETERMINE THE EFFECTS OF HATHA YOGA PRACTICE ON THE HEALTH-RELATED ASPECTS OF PHYSICAL FITNESS, INCLUDING MUSCULAR STRENGTH AND ENDURANCE, FLEXIBILITY, CARDIORESPIRATORY FITNESS, BODY COMPOSITION, AND PULMONARY FUNCTION. SUBJECTS WERE REQUIRED TO ATTEND A MINIMUM OF TWO YOGA CLASSES PER WEEK FOR A TOTAL OF 8 WEEKS. EACH YOGA SESSION CONSISTED OF 10 MINUTES OF PRANAYAMAS (BREATH-CONTROL EXERCISES), 15 MINUTES OF DYNAMIC WARM-UP EXERCISES, 50 MINUTES OF ASANAS (YOGA POSTURES), AND 10 MINUTES OF SUPINE RELAXATION IN SAVASANA (CORPSE POSE). THE SUBJECTS WERE EVALUATED BEFORE AND AFTER THE 8-WEEK TRAINING PROGRAM. ISOKINETIC MUSCULAR STRENGTH FOR ELBOW EXTENSION, ELBOW FLEXION, AND KNEE EXTENSION INCREASED BY 31%, 19%, AND 28% (P<0.05), RESPECTIVELY, WHEREAS ISOMETRIC MUSCULAR ENDURANCE FOR KNEE FLEXION INCREASED 57% (P<0.01). ANKLE FLEXIBILITY, SHOULDER ELEVATION, TRUNK EXTENSION, AND TRUNK FLEXION INCREASED BY 13% (P<0.01), 155% (P<0.001), 188% (P<0.001), AND 14% (P<0.05), RESPECTIVELY. ABSOLUTE AND RELATIVE MAXIMAL OXYGEN UPTAKE INCREASED BY 7% AND 6%, RESPECTIVELY (P<0.01). THESE FINDINGS INDICATE THAT REGULAR HATHA YOGA PRACTICE CAN ELICIT IMPROVEMENTS IN THE HEALTH-RELATED ASPECTS OF PHYSICAL FITNESS. (C)2001 CHF, INC. 2001 14 1120 27 EFFICACY OF HOT YOGA AS A HEAT STRESS TECHNIQUE FOR ENHANCING PLASMA VOLUME AND CARDIOVASCULAR PERFORMANCE IN ELITE FEMALE FIELD HOCKEY PLAYERS. PERROTTA, AS, WHITE, MD, KOEHLE, MS, TAUNTON, JE, AND WARBURTON, DER. EFFICACY OF HOT YOGA AS A HEAT STRESS TECHNIQUE FOR ENHANCING PLASMA VOLUME AND CARDIOVASCULAR PERFORMANCE IN ELITE FEMALE FIELD HOCKEY PLAYERS. J STRENGTH COND RES 32(10): 2878-2887, 2018-THIS INVESTIGATION EXAMINED THE EFFICACY OF HOT YOGA AS AN ALTERNATIVE HEAT STRESS TECHNIQUE FOR ENHANCING PLASMA VOLUME PERCENTAGE (PV%) AND CARDIOVASCULAR PERFORMANCE. TEN INTERNATIONAL CALIBER FEMALE FIELD HOCKEY PLAYERS COMPLETED SIX 60-MINUTE HOT YOGA SESSIONS USING PERMISSIVE DEHYDRATION OVER 6 DAYS, FOLLOWED BY A 6-DAY NATIONAL TEAM CAMP. CHANGES IN PV% WERE EXAMINED THROUGHOUT THE INTERVENTION AND POSTINTERVENTION PERIOD. A GRADED MAXIMAL EXERCISE TEST WAS PERFORMED IN A THERMONEUTRAL ENVIRONMENT (23.2 +/- 1.0 DEGREES C) 24 HOURS BEFORE AND 24 HOURS AFTER INTERVENTION. SIX DAYS OF HOT YOGA INITIATED A MODERATE STATE OF HYPOVOLEMIA (PV% = -3.5%, 90% CONFIDENCE LIMIT [CL] [-6.9 TO -0.13]), TRIVIAL IMPROVEMENTS IN MAXIMAL AEROBIC POWER (V[COMBINING DOT ABOVE]O2MAX) (EFFECT SIZE [ES] = 0.06, 90% CL [-0.16 TO 0.28]), AND RUN TIME TO EXHAUSTION (ES = 0.11, 90% CL [-0.07 TO 0.29]). SMALL MEANINGFUL IMPROVEMENTS WERE OBSERVED IN RUNNING SPEED (KM.H) AT VENTILATORY THRESHOLD (VT1) (ES = 0.34, 90% CL [-0.08 TO 0.76]), VT2 (ES = 0.53, 90% CL [-0.05 TO 1.1]), ALONG WITH ADAPTATIONS IN THE RESPIRATORY EXCHANGE RATIO DURING HIGH-INTENSITY EXERCISE (ES = -0.25, 90% CL [-0.62 TO 0.12]). A LARGE PLASMA VOLUME EXPANSION TRANSPIRED 72 HOURS AFTER INTERVENTION (PV% = 5.0%, 90% CL [1.3-8.7]) THAT CONTRACTED TO A SMALL EXPANSION AFTER 6 DAYS (PV% = 1.6%, 90% CL [-1.0 TO 4.2]). THIS INVESTIGATION PROVIDES PRACTITIONERS AN ALTERNATIVE HEAT STRESS TECHNIQUE CONDUCIVE FOR TEAM SPORT, INVOLVING MINIMAL EXERCISE STRESS THAT CAN PRESERVE MAXIMAL CARDIOVASCULAR PERFORMANCE OVER PERIODIZED REST WEEKS WITHIN THE YEARLY TRAINING PLAN. FURTHERMORE, IMPROVEMENTS IN SUBMAXIMAL PERFORMANCE AND A DELAYED HYPERVOLEMIC RESPONSE MAY PROVIDE A PERFORMANCE-ENHANCING EFFECT WHEN ENTERING A 6-DAY COMPETITION PERIOD. 2018 15 1451 29 INFLUENCE OF INTENSIVE YOGA TRAINING ON PHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGES IN 6 ADULT WOMEN: A CASE REPORT. THE SHORT-TERM EFFECTS OF 4 WEEKS OF INTENSIVE YOGA PRACTICE ON PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES IN SIX HEALTHY ADULT FEMALE VOLUNTEERS WERE MEASURED USING THE MAXIMAL EXERCISE TREADMILL TEST. YOGA PRACTICE INVOLVED DAILY MORNING AND EVENING SESSIONS OF 90 MINUTES EACH. PRE- AND POST-YOGA EXERCISE PERFORMANCE WAS COMPARED. MAXIMAL WORK OUTPUT (WMAX) FOR THE GROUP INCREASED BY 21%, WITH A SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED LEVEL OF OXYGEN CONSUMPTION PER UNIT WORK BUT WITHOUT A CONCOMITANT SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN HEART RATE. AFTER INTENSIVE YOGA TRAINING, AT 154 WMIN(-1) (CORRESPONDING TO WMAX OF THE PRE-YOGA MAXIMAL EXERCISE TEST) PARTICIPANTS COULD EXERCISE MORE COMFORTABLY, WITH A SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER HEART RATE (P < 0.05), REDUCED MINUTE VENTILATION (P < 0.05), REDUCED OXYGEN CONSUMPTION PER UNIT WORK (P < 0.05), AND A SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER RESPIRATORY QUOTIENT (P < 0.05). THE IMPLICATIONS FOR THE EFFECT OF INTENSIVE YOGA ON CARDIORESPIRATORY EFFICIENCY ARE DISCUSSED, WITH THE SUGGESTION THAT YOGA HAS SOME TRANSPARENTLY DIFFERENT QUANTIFIABLE PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS TO OTHER EXERCISES. 1997 16 323 29 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 17 995 27 EFFECTS OF HIGH-INTENSITY HATHA YOGA ON CARDIOVASCULAR FITNESS, ADIPOCYTOKINES, AND APOLIPOPROTEINS IN HEALTHY STUDENTS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED STUDY. BACKGROUND: YOGA EXERCISES ARE OFTEN USED AS A FORM OF BODY AND MIND EXERCISE TO INCREASE PERFORMANCE. HOWEVER, KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE PHYSIOLOGIC EFFECTS OF PERFORMING HIGH-INTENSITY HATHA YOGA EXERCISES OVER A LONGER TIME PERIOD REMAINS LIMITED. OBJECTIVE: TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTS OF HIGH-INTENSITY YOGA (HIY) ON CARDIOVASCULAR FITNESS (MAXIMAL OXYGEN CONSUMPTION, ESTIMATED FROM THE COOPER RUNNING TEST), RATINGS OF PERCEIVED EXERTION (RPE), HEART RATE (HR), HEART RATE RECOVERY (HRR), BLOOD PRESSURE (BP), ADIPOCYTOKINES, APOLIPOPROTEIN A1 (APOA1), APOLIPOPROTEIN B (APOB), AND GLYCOSYLATED HEMOGLOBIN (HBA1C) IN HEALTHY STUDENTS. METHODS: THE 44 PARTICIPANTS (38 WOMEN AND 6 MEN; MEDIAN AGE, 25 YEARS [RANGE, 20-39 YEARS]) WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO AN HIY OR A CONTROL GROUP. THE HIY PROGRAM WAS HELD FOR 6 WEEKS (60 MINUTES ONCE A WEEK). CARDIOVASCULAR FITNESS, RPE, HR, HRR, BP, ADIPOCYTOKINES, HBA1C, APOA1, AND APOB WERE MEASURED AT BASELINE AND AFTER 6 WEEKS IN BOTH GROUPS. RESULTS: HIY HAD NO SIGNIFICANT EFFECTS ON CARDIOVASCULAR FITNESS (MEAN DOSE: 390 MINUTES [RANGE, 210-800 MINUTES]), HR, HRR, BP, OR ANY OF THE BLOOD PARAMETERS. HOWEVER, SECONDARY FINDINGS SHOWED THAT [CORRECTED] APOA1 (1.47 +/- 0.17 TO 1.55 +/- 0.16 G/L; P = 0.03) AND ADIPONECTIN (8.32 +/- 3.32 TO 9.68 +/- 3.83 MG/L; P = 0.003) LEVELS INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE HIY GROUP AFTER 6 WEEKS. CONCLUSIONS: SIX WEEKS OF HIY DID NOT SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE CARDIOVASCULAR FITNESS. HOWEVER, SECONDARY FINDINGS SHOWED THAT [CORRECTED] APOA1 AND ADIPONECTIN LEVELS INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE HIY GROUP. THIS FINDING SUGGESTS THAT HIY MAY HAVE POSITIVE EFFECTS ON BLOOD LIPIDS AND AN ANTI-INFLAMMATORY EFFECT. 2016 18 1706 27 PATTERN OF BREATHING AND VENTILATORY RESPONSE TO CO2 IN SUBJECTS PRACTICING HATHA-YOGA. WE STUDIED EIGHT BELGIAN SUBJECTS WELL ADVANCED IN THE PRACTICE OF HATHA-YOGA AND COMPARED THEM WITH EIGHT SEX-, AGE-, AND HEIGHT-MATCHED CONTROL SUBJECTS. PRACTICE OF YOGA (RANGE 4-12 YR) INVOLVES CONTROL OF POSTURE AND MANIPULATION OF BREATHING, INCLUDING SLOW NEAR-VITAL CAPACITY MANEUVERS ACCOMPANIED BY APNEA AT END INSPIRATION AND END EXPIRATION. AVERAGE VALUES FOR THE YOGA AND THE CONTROL GROUP (IN PARENTHESES) ARE AS FOLLOWS: VENTILATION (VE) 5.53 1 X MIN-1 (7.07); TIDAL VOLUME (VT), 1.03 LITERS (0.56); RATE OF BREATHING, 5.5 MIN-1 (13.4); END-TIDAL PCO2, 39.0 TORR (35.3). ALL DIFFERENCES ARE SIGNIFICANT (P LESS THAN 0.05). VENTILATORY RESPONSE TO CO2 (REBREATHING TECHNIQUE) WAS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER IN THE YOGA GROUP (P LESS THAN 0.01). THE REGRESSION RELATING VE TO VT DURING REBREATHING OF CO2 WAS VE = 8.1 (VT - 0.23) FOR THE YOGA GROUP AND VE = 15.8 (VT - 0.16) FOR THE CONTROL GROUP (P LESS THAN 0.005). WE ATTRIBUTE THESE CHANGES TO CHRONIC MANIPULATION OF RESPIRATION. 1981 19 943 24 EFFECTS OF A 12-WEEK HATHA YOGA INTERVENTION ON CARDIORESPIRATORY ENDURANCE, MUSCULAR STRENGTH AND ENDURANCE, AND FLEXIBILITY IN HONG KONG CHINESE ADULTS: A CONTROLLED CLINICAL TRIAL. OBJECTIVE. TO EXAMINE THE EFFECTS OF A 12-WEEK HATHA YOGA INTERVENTION ON CARDIORESPIRATORY ENDURANCE, MUSCULAR STRENGTH AND ENDURANCE, AND FLEXIBILITY IN CHINESE ADULTS. METHODS. 173 ADULTS (AGED 52.0 +/- 7.5 YEARS) WERE ASSIGNED TO EITHER THE YOGA INTERVENTION GROUP (N = 87) OR THE WAITLIST CONTROL GROUP (N = 86). 19 DROPPED OUT FROM THE STUDY. PRIMARY OUTCOMES WERE CHANGES IN CARDIORESPIRATORY ENDURANCE (RESTING HEART RATE (HR) AND MAXIMAL OXYGEN UPTAKE (VO2MAX)), MUSCULAR STRENGTH AND ENDURANCE (CURL-UP AND PUSH-UP TESTS), AND LOWER BACK AND HAMSTRING FLEXIBILITY (THE MODIFIED BACK-SAVER SIT-AND-REACH (MBS) TEST). RESULTS. COMPARED TO CONTROLS, THE YOGA GROUP ACHIEVED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN VO2MAX (P < 0.01), CURL-UP (P < 0.05) AND PUSH-UP (P < 0.001) TESTS, AND THE MBS LEFT AND RIGHT LEG TESTS (BOTH P < 0.001) IN BOTH GENDERS. SIGNIFICANT CHANGE WAS ALSO FOUND FOR RESTING HR BETWEEN GROUPS IN WOMEN (P < 0.05) BUT NOT IN MEN. FURTHER ANALYSIS COMPARING PARTICIPANTS BETWEEN YOUNGER AND OLDER SUBGROUPS YIELDED SIMILAR FINDINGS, EXCEPT THAT THE OLDER PARTICIPANTS IN THE YOGA GROUP FAILED TO IMPROVE RESTING HR OR THE CURL-UP TEST VERSUS CONTROL. ADHERENCE (89%) AND ATTENDANCE (94%) WERE HIGH. NO SERIOUS ADVERSE EVENTS OCCURRED. CONCLUSION. A 12-WEEK HATHA YOGA INTERVENTION HAS FAVORABLE EFFECTS ON CARDIORESPIRATORY ENDURANCE, MUSCULAR STRENGTH AND ENDURANCE, AND FLEXIBILITY IN CHINESE ADULTS. 2015 20 404 25 BIKRAM YOGA TRAINING AND PHYSICAL FITNESS IN HEALTHY YOUNG ADULTS. THERE HAS BEEN RELATIVELY LITTLE LONGITUDINAL CONTROLLED INVESTIGATION OF THE EFFECTS OF YOGA ON GENERAL PHYSICAL FITNESS, DESPITE THE WIDESPREAD PARTICIPATION IN THIS FORM OF EXERCISE. THE PURPOSE OF THIS EXPLORATORY STUDY WAS TO EXAMINE THE EFFECT OF SHORT-TERM BIKRAM YOGA TRAINING ON GENERAL PHYSICAL FITNESS. YOUNG HEALTHY ADULTS WERE RANDOMIZED TO YOGA TRAINING (N = 10, 29 +/- 6 YEARS, 24 SESSIONS IN 8 WEEKS) OR A CONTROL GROUP (N = 11, 26 +/- 7 YEARS). EACH YOGA TRAINING SESSION CONSISTED OF 90-MINUTE STANDARDIZED SUPERVISED POSTURES PERFORMED IN A HEATED AND HUMIDIFIED STUDIO. ISOMETRIC DEADLIFT STRENGTH, HANDGRIP STRENGTH, LOWER BACK/HAMSTRING AND SHOULDER FLEXIBILITY, RESTING HEART RATE AND BLOOD PRESSURE, MAXIMAL OXYGEN CONSUMPTION (TREADMILL), AND LEAN AND FAT MASS (DUAL-ENERGY X-RAY ABSORPTIOMETRY) WERE MEASURED BEFORE AND AFTER TRAINING. YOGA SUBJECTS EXHIBITED INCREASED DEADLIFT STRENGTH, SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASED LOWER BACK/HAMSTRING FLEXIBILITY, INCREASED SHOULDER FLEXIBILITY, AND MODESTLY DECREASED BODY FAT COMPARED WITH CONTROL GROUP. THERE WERE NO CHANGES IN HANDGRIP STRENGTH, CARDIOVASCULAR MEASURES, OR MAXIMAL AEROBIC FITNESS. IN SUMMARY, THIS SHORT-TERM YOGA TRAINING PROTOCOL PRODUCED BENEFICIAL CHANGES IN MUSCULOSKELETAL FITNESS THAT WERE SPECIFIC TO THE TRAINING STIMULUS. 2013