1 985 152 EFFECTS OF HATHA YOGA AND OMKAR MEDITATION ON CARDIORESPIRATORY PERFORMANCE, PSYCHOLOGIC PROFILE, AND MELATONIN SECRETION. OBJECTIVES: TO EVALUATE EFFECTS OF HATHA YOGA AND OMKAR MEDITATION ON CARDIORESPIRATORY PERFORMANCE, PSYCHOLOGIC PROFILE, AND MELATONIN SECRETION. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: THIRTY HEALTHY MEN IN THE AGE GROUP OF 25-35 YEARS VOLUNTEERED FOR THE STUDY. THEY WERE RANDOMLY DIVIDED IN TWO GROUPS OF 15 EACH. GROUP 1 SUBJECTS SERVED AS CONTROLS AND PERFORMED BODY FLEXIBILITY EXERCISES FOR 40 MINUTES AND SLOW RUNNING FOR 20 MINUTES DURING MORNING HOURS AND PLAYED GAMES FOR 60 MINUTES DURING EVENING HOURS DAILY FOR 3 MONTHS. GROUP 2 SUBJECTS PRACTICED SELECTED YOGIC ASANAS (POSTURES) FOR 45 MINUTES AND PRANAYAMA FOR 15 MINUTES DURING THE MORNING, WHEREAS DURING THE EVENING HOURS THESE SUBJECTS PERFORMED PREPARATORY YOGIC POSTURES FOR 15 MINUTES, PRANAYAMA FOR 15 MINUTES, AND MEDITATION FOR 30 MINUTES DAILY, FOR 3 MONTHS. ORTHOSTATIC TOLERANCE, HEART RATE, BLOOD PRESSURE, RESPIRATORY RATE, DYNAMIC LUNG FUNCTION (SUCH AS FORCED VITAL CAPACITY, FORCED EXPIRATORY VOLUME IN 1 SECOND, FORCED EXPIRATORY VOLUME PERCENTAGE, PEAK EXPIRATORY FLOW RATE, AND MAXIMUM VOLUNTARY VENTILATION), AND PSYCHOLOGIC PROFILE WERE MEASURED BEFORE AND AFTER 3 MONTHS OF YOGIC PRACTICES. SERIAL BLOOD SAMPLES WERE DRAWN AT VARIOUS TIME INTERVALS TO STUDY EFFECTS OF THESE YOGIC PRACTICES AND OMKAR MEDITATION ON MELATONIN LEVELS. RESULTS: YOGIC PRACTICES FOR 3 MONTHS RESULTED IN AN IMPROVEMENT IN CARDIORESPIRATORY PERFORMANCE AND PSYCHOLOGIC PROFILE. THE PLASMA MELATONIN ALSO SHOWED AN INCREASE AFTER THREE MONTHS OF YOGIC PRACTICES. THE SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE, DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE, MEAN ARTERIAL PRESSURE, AND ORTHOSTATIC TOLERANCE DID NOT SHOW ANY SIGNIFICANT CORRELATION WITH PLASMA MELATONIN. HOWEVER, THE MAXIMUM NIGHT TIME MELATONIN LEVELS IN YOGA GROUP SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT CORRELATION (R = 0.71, P < 0.05) WITH WELL-BEING SCORE. CONCLUSION: THESE OBSERVATIONS SUGGEST THAT YOGIC PRACTICES CAN BE USED AS PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGIC STIMULI TO INCREASE ENDOGENOUS SECRETION OF MELATONIN, WHICH, IN TURN, MIGHT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR IMPROVED SENSE OF WELL-BEING. 2004 2 1060 49 EFFECTS OF YOGA ON FUNCTIONAL CAPACITY AND WELL BEING. YOGA HAS PROVEN BENEFICIAL EFFECTS ON VARIOUS HEALTH DOMAINS INCLUDING MUSCULOSKELETAL CONDITIONS, CARDIOPULMONARY CONDITIONS THROUGH THE PRACTICE OF ASANA AND PRANAYAMAS AS WELL AS ON MENTAL HEALTH, AS IT IS KNOWN TO ENHANCE THE BODY-AND MIND COORDINATION. THERE IS PAUCITY OF DATA ON THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON FUNCTIONAL CAPACITY IN LITERATURE USING 6 MIN WALK TEST. THE PRESENT STUDY AIMS TO LOOK AT THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON 6-MIN WALKED DISTANCE, RATING OF PERCEIVED EXERTION (RPE), RECOVERY TIME FOLLOWING THE WALK AND STATE OF WELL BEING. THIS IS A HOSPITAL-BASED LONGITUDINAL STUDY WHERE 30 PHYSIOTHERAPY STUDENTS OF THE AGE GROUP 18 - 22 YEARS OF EITHER SEX WERE ENROLLED. SUBJECTS HAVING MUSCULOSKELETAL PROBLEMS, CARDIO RESPIRATORY DISEASE AND THOSE WHO WERE NOT WILLING TO VOLUNTEER WERE EXCLUDED THEY RECEIVED YOGA INTERVENTION IN FORM OF YOGIC PRACTICES WHICH INCLUDED A COMBINATION OF ASANAS, PRANAYAMAS AND OMKAR CHANTING FOR 1 H FOR 30 SESSIONS. A BASELINE 6-MIN WALK TEST WAS CONDUCTED ON SUBJECTS AND THE 6-MIN WALKED DISTANCE, RATING OF PERCEIVED EXERTION (RPE) ON MODIFIED BORG'S SCALE WERE RECORDED. THE BASELINE STATE OF WELL-BEING WAS NOTED USING THE WARWICK- EDINBURGH MENTAL WELL-BEING SCALE AND SIMILAR RECORDING WAS DONE POST INTERVENTION AFTER 30 SESSIONS. OF THE 30 SUBJECTS, THERE WERE NO DROP OUTS AS THESE WERE COMMITTED COLLEGE STUDENTS. OF THEM, 24 WERE FEMALES AND 6 WERE MALES WITH A MEAN AGE OF 21.5 YEARS SD 2.38. STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS WERE OBSERVED IN 6-MIN WALK DISTANCE (P VALUE = 0.000), RPE (P VALUE < 0.000), RECOVERY TIME (P VALUE < 0.000) AND SENSE OF WELL BEING SCORE (P VALUE < 0.000). YOGA PRACTICES ARE BENEFICIAL IN IMPROVING THE FUNCTIONAL CAPACITY IN YOUNG HEALTHY ADULTS. YOGA CAN VERY WELL BE INCORPORATED IN MEDICAL PRACTICE FOR INCREASING THE PATIENT'S FUNCTIONAL CAPACITY, FOR THOSE WHO HAVE LIMITATIONS IN PERFORMING AEROBIC TRAINING DUE TO VARIOUS HEALTH REASONS. THE IMPROVED STATE OF WELL BEING MOTIVATES THE PATIENTS TO ADHERE TO YOGIC PRACTICES. 2013 3 865 52 EFFECT OF YOGA PRACTICES ON PULMONARY FUNCTION TESTS INCLUDING TRANSFER FACTOR OF LUNG FOR CARBON MONOXIDE (TLCO) IN ASTHMA PATIENTS. PRANA IS THE ENERGY, WHEN THE SELF-ENERGIZING FORCE EMBRACES THE BODY WITH EXTENSION AND EXPANSION AND CONTROL, IT IS PRANAYAMA. IT MAY AFFECT THE MILIEU AT THE BRONCHIOLES AND THE ALVEOLI PARTICULARLY AT THE ALVEOLO-CAPILLARY MEMBRANE TO FACILITATE DIFFUSION AND TRANSPORT OF GASES. IT MAY ALSO INCREASE OXYGENATION AT TISSUE LEVEL. AIM OF OUR STUDY IS TO COMPARE PULMONARY FUNCTIONS AND DIFFUSION CAPACITY IN PATIENTS OF BRONCHIAL ASTHMA BEFORE AND AFTER YOGIC INTERVENTION OF 2 MONTHS. SIXTY STABLE ASTHMATIC-PATIENTS WERE RANDOMIZED INTO TWO GROUPS I.E GROUP 1 (YOGA TRAINING GROUP) AND GROUP 2 (CONTROL GROUP). EACH GROUP INCLUDED THIRTY PATIENTS. LUNG FUNCTIONS WERE RECORDED ON ALL PATIENTS AT BASELINE, AND THEN AFTER TWO MONTHS. GROUP 1 SUBJECTS SHOWED A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT (P<0.001) IN TRANSFER FACTOR OF THE LUNG FOR CARBON MONOXIDE (TLCO), FORCED VITAL CAPACITY (FVC), FORCED EXPIRATORY VOLUME IN 1ST SEC (FEV1), PEAK EXPIRATORY FLOW RATE (PEFR), MAXIMUM VOLUNTARY VENTILATION (MVV) AND SLOW VITAL CAPACITY (SVC) AFTER YOGA PRACTICE. QUALITY OF LIFE ALSO INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY. IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT PRANAYAMA & YOGA BREATHING AND STRETCHING POSTURES ARE USED TO INCREASE RESPIRATORY STAMINA, RELAX THE CHEST MUSCLES, EXPAND THE LUNGS, RAISE ENERGY LEVELS, AND CALM THE BODY. 2012 4 880 43 EFFECT OF YOGA TRAINING ON HANDGRIP, RESPIRATORY PRESSURES AND PULMONARY FUNCTION. ALTHOUGH THERE ARE A NUMBER OF REPORTS ON THE EFFECT OF YOGA TRAINING ON PULMONARY FUNCTIONS, VERY FEW STUDIES HAVE BEEN UNDERTAKEN ON THE EFFECT OF YOGA TRAINING ON RESPIRATORY PRESSURES AND HANDGRIP ENDURANCE. HENCE THE PRESENT WORK WAS PLANNED TO STUDY THE EFFECT OF YOGA TRAINING ON HAND GRIP STRENGTH (HGS), HAND GRIP ENDURANCE (HGE), MAXIMUM EXPIRATORY PRESSURE (MEP), MAXIMUM INSPIRATORY PRESSURE (MIP), FORCED EXPIRATORY VOLUME (FEV), FORCED EXPIRATORY VOLUME IN FIRST SECOND (FEV1) AND PEAK EXPIRATORY FLOW RATE (PEFR). 20 SCHOOL CHILDREN IN THE AGE GROUP OF 12 TO 15 YEARS WERE GIVEN YOGA TRAINING (ASANS AND PRANAYAMS) FOR 6 MONTHS. 20 AGE AND GENDER-MATCHED STUDENTS FORMED THE CONTROL GROUP. YOGA TRAINING PRODUCED STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT (P < 0.05) INCREASE IN HGS AND HGE. MEP, MIP, FEV, FEV1 AND PEFR ALSO INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY (P < 0.001) AFTER THE YOGA TRAINING. IN CONTRAST, THE INCREASE IN THESE PARAMETERS IN THE CONTROL GROUP WAS STATISTICALLY INSIGNIFICANT. OUR STUDY SHOWS THAT YOGA TRAINING FOR 6 MONTHS IMPROVES LUNG FUNCTION, STRENGTH OF INSPIRATORY AND EXPIRATORY MUSCLES AS WELL AS SKELETAL MUSCLE STRENGTH AND ENDURANCE. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT YOGA BE INTRODUCED AT SCHOOL LEVEL IN ORDER TO IMPROVE PHYSIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS, OVERALL HEALTH AND PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS. 2003 5 867 61 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 6 751 28 EFFECT OF SHORT TERM YOGA PRACTICE ON VENTILATORY FUNCTION TESTS. TWENTYFIVE NORMAL MALE VOLUNTEERS UNDERGOING A TEN WEEKS COURSE IN THE PRACTICE OF YOGA HAVE BEEN STUDIED BY SOME PARAMETERS OF VENTILATORY FUNCTIONS TESTS. THE OBSERVATIONS RECORDED AT THE END OF TEN WEEKS OF THE COURSE HAVE SHOWN IMPROVED VENTILATORY FUNCTIONS IN THE FORM OF LOWERED RESPIRATORY RATE, INCREASED FORCED VITAL CAPACITY, FEV1, MAXIMUM BREATHING CAPACITY AND BREATH HOLDING TIME, WHILE TIDAL VOLUME AND %FEV1, DID NOT REVEAL ANY SIGNIFICANT CHANGE. THUS, A COMBINED PRACTICE OF YOGA SEEMS TO BE BENEFICIAL ON RESPIRATORY EFFICIENCY. 1988 7 878 51 EFFECT OF YOGA TRAINING AND DETRAINING ON RESPIRATORY MUSCLE STRENGTH IN PRE-PUBERTAL CHILDREN: A RANDOMIZED TRIAL. OBJECTIVE: TO EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON FORCED VITAL CAPACITY (FVC), FORCED EXPIRATORY VOLUME IN I(ST) SECOND (FEV1), PEAK EXPIRATORY FLOW RATE (PEFR), FEVI/FVC RATIO, AND PULMONARY PRESSURES [MAXIMUM INSPIRATORY PRESSURE (MIP), MAXIMUM EXPIRATORY PRESSURE (MEP) AT THE END OF 3 MONTHS YOGA TRAINING AND THE DETRAINING EFFECT ON THE ABOVE PARAMETERS IN 7-9-YEARS-OLD SCHOOL GOING CHILDREN. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A TOTAL OF 100 PARTICIPANTS WERE RECRUITED FROM A SCHOOL IN BANGALORE. AFTER BASELINE ASSESSMENTS, THE PARTICIPANTS WERE RANDOMLY ALLOCATED TO EITHER YOGA OR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY GROUP. INTERVENTION WAS GIVEN FOR 3 MONTHS, AND MEASURES OF PULMONARY FUNCTION AND PULMONARY PRESSURES WERE DETERMINED IMMEDIATELY POST-INTERVENTION AND AT 3-MONTHS FOLLOW-UP. RESULTS: ALTHOUGH SIGNIFICANT INCREASE WAS OBSERVED IN FVC, FEV1, PEFR, FEV1/FVC, MIP, AND MEP AT POST-INTERVENTION, THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO STUDY GROUPS AFTER ADJUSTING FOR HEIGHT AND AGE POST TRAINING . HOWEVER, MIP INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY IN BOTH THE GROUPS POST-INTERVENTION, BUT THE YOGA GROUP PERFORMED SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN THE PE GROUP. THE EFFECTS OF TRAINING DID NOT FADE OFF EVEN AFTER 3 MONTHS OF DETRAINING. IN FACT, THE FVC AND FEV1 CONTINUED TO INCREASE SIGNIFICANTLY. A TREND OF DECREASE WAS OBSERVED IN PEFR, MIP, AND MEP. HOWEVER, THE VALUES DID NOT REGRESS TO THE BASELINE VALUE. CONCLUSIONS: THIS STUDY SUGGESTS THAT PRACTICE OF YOGA FOR A SHORT DURATION (3 MONTHS) OF TIME CAN SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE RESPIRATORY MUSCLE STRENGTH IN PEDIATRIC POPULATION. 2014 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 9 214 38 A STUDY OF THE EFFECT OF YOGA TRAINING ON PULMONARY FUNCTIONS IN PATIENTS WITH BRONCHIAL ASTHMA. THE ROLE OF YOGA BREATHING EXERCISES, AS AN ADJUNCT TREATMENT FOR BRONCHIAL ASTHMA IS WELL RECOGNIZED. ONE HUNDRED TWENTY PATIENTS OF ASTHMA WERE RANDOMIZED INTO TWO GROUPS I.E GROUP A (YOGA TRAINING GROUP) AND GROUP B (CONTROL GROUP). EACH GROUP INCLUDED SIXTY PATIENTS. PULMONARY FUNCTION TESTS WERE PERFORMED ON ALL THE PATIENTS AT BASELINE, AFTER 4 WEEKS AND THEN AFTER 8 WEEKS. MAJORITY OF THE SUBJECTS IN THE TWO GROUPS HAD MILD DISEASE (34 PATIENTS IN GROUP A AND 32 IN GROUP B). GROUP A SUBJECTS SHOWED A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT INCREASING TREND (P < 0.01) IN % PREDICTED PEAK EXPIRATORY FLOW RATE (PEFR), FORCED EXPIRATORY VOLUME IN THE FIRST SECOND (FEV1), FORCED VITAL CAPACITY (FVC), FORCED MID EXPIRATORY FLOW IN 0.25-0.75 SECONDS (FEF25-75) AND FEV1/FVC% RATIO AT 4 WEEKS AND 8 WEEKS AS COMPARED TO GROUP B. THUS, YOGA BREATHING EXERCISES USED ADJUNCTIVELY WITH STANDARD PHARMACOLOGICAL TREATMENT SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVES PULMONARY FUNCTIONS IN PATIENTS WITH BRONCHIAL ASTHMA. 2009 10 435 44 CARDIOPULMONARY AND METABOLIC EFFECTS OF YOGA IN HEALTHY VOLUNTEERS. BACKGROUND: YOGA THE SPIRITUAL UNION OF MIND WITH THE DIVINE INTELLIGENCE OF THE UNIVERSE AIMS TO LIBERATE A HUMAN BEING FROM CONFLICTS OF BODY-MIND DUALITY. BENEFICIAL CARDIOVASCULAR AND PULMONARY EFFECTS OF YOGA ARE IN PAR WITH AEROBIC EXERCISE, EVEN AMOUNTING TO REPLACE THE EXERCISE MODEL. WE CONDUCTED AN INTERVENTIONAL STUDY IN HEALTHY VOLUNTEERS, TO ANALYZE THE IMPACT OF SHORT-TERM YOGA TRAINING ON CARDIOVASCULAR, PULMONARY, AUTONOMIC FUNCTION TESTS, LIPID PROFILE, AND THYROID FUNCTION TESTS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A SAMPLE OF FIFTY NEW RECRUITS ATTENDING THE DISTRICT YOGA CENTER WAS SUBJECT TO 75 MIN YOGA PRACTICE A DAY FOR 41 DAYS. BASAL VALUES OF CARDIOVASCULAR, PULMONARY, AUTONOMIC FUNCTION TESTS, LIPID PROFILE, AND THYROID FUNCTION TESTS WERE RECORDED BEFORE YOGA TRAINING AND WERE REASSESSED FOR POSTYOGA CHANGES AFTER 41 DAYS. RESULTS: AFTER YOGA PRACTICE THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN THE RESTING HEART RATE, SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE, DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE, AND MEAN BLOOD PRESSURE OF THE PARTICIPANTS. EFFECTS ON AUTONOMIC FUNCTION TESTS WERE VARIABLE AND INCONCLUSIVE. THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN FORCED VITAL CAPACITY, FORCED EXPIRATORY VOLUME IN 1 S, AND PEAK EXPIRATORY FLOW RATE AFTER YOGA. A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN BODY MASS INDEX WAS OBSERVED. EFFECTS ON METABOLIC PARAMETERS WERE PROMISING WITH A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN FASTING BLOOD SUGAR LEVEL, SERUM TOTAL CHOLESTEROL, SERUM TRIGLYCERIDES SERUM LOW-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN LEVELS, AND SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN HIGH-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN. THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN THYROID FUNCTION TESTS AFTER YOGA. CONCLUSION: SHORT-TERM YOGA PRACTICE HAS NO EFFECT ON THYROID FUNCTIONS. YOGA PRACTICE WAS FOUND BENEFICIAL IN MAINTAINING PHYSIOLOGICAL MILIEU PERTAINING TO CARDIOVASCULAR AND OTHER METABOLIC PARAMETERS. 2017 11 844 40 EFFECT OF YOGA ON PULMONARY FUNCTION TESTS OF HYPOTHYROID PATIENTS. AIM OF THIS STUDY WAS TO SEE ANY EFFECT ON RESPIRATORY FUNCTIONS IN HYPOTHYROID PATIENTS AFTER PRANAYAMA (YOGA). THE SUBJECTS FOR THE STUDY WERE 20 HYPOTHYROID FEMALES, 39.70 +/- 8.27 YEARS OF MEAN AGE REFERRED FROM MEDICINE DEPARTMENT OF UCMS & G.T.B. HOSPITAL. SPIRO METRIC RECORDINGS WERE TAKEN WITH HYPAIR (VERSION-1.28). BASELINE (FIRST) RECORDINGS WERE TAKEN WHEN PATIENT CAME FOR THE FIRST TIME. PATIENTS CAME TO YOGA LAB IN PHYSIOLOGY DEPARTMENT FOR 21 DAYS CONTINUOUSLY WHERE THEY WERE TRAINED BY THE YOGA INSTRUCTORS AND THEN TOLD TO DO PRANAYAMA AT HOME AND CALLED AT REGULAR INTERVALS AFTER 7 DAYS TO SEE THE COMPLIANCE. THE BREATHING EXERCISES WERE DONE FOR 45 MINUTES EVERYDAY. AFTER 6 MONTHS OF PRANAYAMA SECOND RECORDING WAS TAKEN AND COMPARED WITH THE BASELINE. THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN FORCED EXPIRATORY VOLUME IN FIRST SECOND (FEV1), MAXIMUM VOLUNTARY VENTILATION (MVV) AND INSPIRATORY CAPACITY(IC). THUS PRANAYAMA AND MEDITATION HAS BENEFICIAL EFFECT ON PULMONARY FUNCTIONS OF HYPOTHYROID PATIENTS ALONG WITH CONVENTIONAL TREATMENT. 2010 12 1123 33 EFFICACY OF NATUROPATHY AND YOGA IN BRONCHIAL ASTHMA. THE AIM OF THE STUDY WAS TO TEST THE EFFICACY OF A ONE MONTH IN-PATIENT NATUROPATHY AND YOGA PROGRAMME FOR PATIENTS WITH ASTHMA. RETROSPECTIVE DATA OF 159 BRONCHIAL ASTHMA PATIENTS, UNDERGOING THE NATUROPATHY AND YOGA PROGRAMME, WAS ANALYZED FOR FORCED VITAL CAPACITY, FORCED EXPIRATORY VOLUME AT THE END OF 1 SECOND, MAXIMUM VOLUNTARY VENTILATION AND PEAK EXPIRATORY FLOW RATE ON ADMISSION, 11TH DAY, ON DISCHARGE AND ONCE IN THREE MONTHS FOR THREE YEARS. THE PAIRED SAMPLE T TEST RESULTS SHOWED SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE FORCED VITAL CAPACITY AND FORCED EXPIRATORY VOLUME FROM THE DATE OF ADMISSION UP TO 6TH MONTH (P < 0.0035) POST BONFERRONI CORRECTION. MAXIMUM VOLUNTARY VENTILATION SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED FROM ADMISSION TILL THE DATE OF DISCHARGE (P < 0.0035) AND PEAK EXPIRATORY FLOW RATE SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED FROM ADMISSION TILL THE 36TH MONTH OF FOLLOW-UP (P < 0.0035), POST BONFERRONI CORRECTION. THIS VALIDATED THE BENEFICIAL EFFECT OF COMBINING NATUROPATHY AND YOGA FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF BRONCHIAL ASTHMA. 2014 13 2823 49 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 14 777 58 EFFECT OF YOGA AND PHYSIOTHERAPY ON PULMONARY FUNCTIONS IN CHILDREN WITH DUCHENNE MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY - A COMPARATIVE STUDY. CONTEXT: ABNORMAL RESPIRATORY FUNCTION IS KNOWN TO BE DETECTABLE ALMOST AS SOON AS IT CAN BE MEASURED RELIABLY. STUDIES HAVE IDENTIFIED THE EFFECT OF RESPIRATORY MUSCLE TRAINING AS WELL AS BREATHING EXERCISES IN IMPROVING PULMONARY FUNCTIONS IN CHILDREN WITH DUCHENNE MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY (DMD). AIMS: THIS STUDY AIMS TO IDENTIFY THE ADD-ON EFFECT OF YOGA OVER PHYSIOTHERAPY ON PULMONARY FUNCTIONS IN CHILDREN WITH DMD. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FOUR PATIENTS WITH DMD WERE RANDOMIZED TO TWO GROUPS. GROUP I RECEIVED HOME-BASED PHYSIOTHERAPY AND GROUP II RECEIVED PHYSIOTHERAPY ALONG WITH YOGA INTERVENTION. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PULMONARY FUNCTION TEST (PFT) WAS ASSESSED BEFORE THE INTERVENTION (BASELINE DATA) AND AT REGULAR INTERVALS OF 3 MONTHS FOR A PERIOD OF 1 YEAR. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: NORMALITY WAS ASSESSED USING SHAPIRO-WILK NORMALITY TEST. THE BASELINE DATA WERE ANALYZED USING MANN-WHITNEY U-TEST TO IDENTIFY THE HOMOGENEITY. REPEATED MEASURES ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE WAS USED TO ASSESS SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN STUDY PARAMETERS DURING THE ASSESSMENT OF EVERY 3 MONTHS, BOTH WITHIN AND BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS OF PATIENTS. RESULTS: A TOTAL OF 88 PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED ALL THE 5 ASSESSMENTS, WITH A MEAN AGE OF 7.9 +/- 1.5 YEARS. PFT PARAMETERS SUCH AS FORCED VITAL CAPACITY (FVC), PEAK EXPIRATORY FLOW RATE, MAXIMUM VOLUNTARY VENTILATION (MVV), AND TIDAL VOLUME DURING MAXIMUM VOLUNTARY VENTILATION (MVT) DEMONSTRATED SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN GROUP I. IN GROUP II, FVC AND MVT SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED FROM BASELINE UP TO 1 YEAR, WHEREAS MVV IMPROVED FROM BASELINE UP TO 9 MONTHS. TIDAL VOLUME DID NOT SHOW ANY CHANGES IN BOTH THE GROUPS. CONCLUSIONS: THE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT INTRODUCTION OF YOGA WITH PHYSIOTHERAPY INTERVENTION AT AN EARLY AGE CAN BE CONSIDERED AS ONE OF THE THERAPEUTIC STRATEGIES IN IMPROVING PULMONARY FUNCTIONS IN PATIENTS WITH DMD. 2021 15 756 38 EFFECT OF SIX WEEKS YOGA TRAINING ON WEIGHT LOSS FOLLOWING STEP TEST, RESPIRATORY PRESSURES, HANDGRIP STRENGTH AND HANDGRIP ENDURANCE IN YOUNG HEALTHY SUBJECTS. THE PRESENT STUDY WAS DESIGNED TO TEST WHETHER YOGA TRAINING OF SIX WEEKS DURATION MODULATES SWEATING RESPONSE TO DYNAMIC EXERCISE AND IMPROVES RESPIRATORY PRESSURES, HANDGRIP STRENGTH AND HANDGRIP ENDURANCE. OUT OF 46 HEALTHY SUBJECTS (30 MALES AND 16 FEMALES, AGED 17-20 YR), 23 MOTIVATED SUBJECTS (15 MALE AND 8 FEMALE) WERE GIVEN YOGA TRAINING AND THE REMAINING 23 SUBJECTS SERVED AS CONTROLS. WEIGHT LOSS FOLLOWING HARVARD STEP TEST (AN INDEX OF SWEAT LOSS), MAXIMUM INSPIRATORY PRESSURE, MAXIMUM EXPIRATORY PRESSURE, 40 MM ENDURANCE, HANDGRIP STRENGTH AND HANDGRIP ENDURANCE WERE DETERMINED BEFORE AND AFTER THE SIX WEEK STUDY PERIOD. IN THE YOGA GROUP, WEIGHT LOSS IN RESPONSE TO HARVARD STEP TEST WAS 64 +/- 30 G AFTER YOGA TRAINING AS COMPARED TO 161 +/- 133 G BEFORE THE TRAINING AND THE DIFFERENCE WAS SIGNIFICANT (N = 15 MALE SUBJECTS, P < 0.0001). IN CONTRAST, WEIGHT LOSS FOLLOWING STEP TEST WAS NOT SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT IN THE CONTROL GROUP AT THE END OF THE STUDY PERIOD. YOGA TRAINING PRODUCED A MARKED INCREASE IN RESPIRATORY PRESSURES AND ENDURANCE IN 40 MM HG TEST IN BOTH MALE AND FEMALE SUBJECTS (P < 0.05 FOR ALL COMPARISONS). IN CONCLUSION, THE PRESENT STUDY DEMONSTRATES ATTENUATION OF THE SWEATING RESPONSE TO STEP TEST BY YOGA TRAINING. FURTHER, YOGA TRAINING FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF SIX WEEKS CAN PRODUCE SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN RESPIRATORY MUSCLE STRENGTH AND ENDURANCE. 2008 16 1305 36 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 17 572 25 DEFINITION OF A YOGA BREATHING (PRANAYAMA) PROTOCOL THAT IMPROVES LUNG FUNCTION. THIS STUDY TESTS THE HYPOTHESIS THAT YOGA BREATHING (PRANAYAMA) IMPROVES LUNG FUNCTION IN HEALTHY VOLUNTEERS DURING A 6-WEEK PROTOCOL. A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED PILOT STUDY DEMONSTRATED AN IMPROVEMENT IN PEAK EXPIRATORY FLOW RATE AND FORCED EXPIRATORY VOLUME. THE EASY-TO-LEARN APPROACH CAN BE TRANSLATED TO THE INPATIENT AND OUTPATIENT SETTINGS. 2019 18 1322 38 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 19 727 42 EFFECT OF LONG-TERM REGULAR YOGA ON PHYSICAL HEALTH OF YOGA PRACTITIONERS. BACKGROUND: YOGA IS A PHYSICAL, MENTAL, AND SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE. THE EFFECT OF YOGA ON MENTAL HEALTH HAS BEEN STUDIED EXTENSIVELY IN INDIA BUT LESS IN THE CONTEXT OF PHYSICAL HEALTH. OBJECTIVE: THE OBJECTIVE WAS TO EXPLORE THE EFFECT OF LONG-TERM REGULAR YOGA ON PHYSICAL HEALTH OF YOGA PRACTITIONERS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: IT WAS AN INTERVENTIONAL STUDY. INCLUSION CRITERIA WERE STUDENTS WHO ENROLLED FOR 1-YEAR DIPLOMA COURSE AT THE YOGA CENTER. EXCLUSION CRITERIA WERE NONREGULAR YOGA PRACTITIONERS DURING THE COURSE. PHYSICAL HEALTH PARAMETERS CONSIDERED FOR ASSESSMENT BEFORE AND AFTER THE YOGA COURSE WERE PULMONARY FUNCTION TESTS, MAXIMUM OXYGEN CONSUMPTION (VO2 MAX) USING BRUCE TREADMILL TEST, FLEXIBILITY, BODY COMPOSITION ANALYSIS, AND HEMOGLOBIN LEVEL. PAIRED SAMPLE T-TEST AND CHI-SQUARE TEST WERE USED FOR STATISTICAL ANALYSIS. RESULTS: THE AEROBIC CAPACITY IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY IN TERMS OF MEAN (STANDARD DEVIATION [SD]) FORCED VITAL CAPACITY (P < 0.001), FORCED EXPIRATION VOLUME AT THE END OF THE FIRST SECOND (P < 0.001) AS WELL AS PEAK EXPIRATORY FLOW RATE (P = 0.04). THE MEAN (SD) FLEXIBILITY SCORE IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY (P < 0.001). SIMILARLY, THE ENDURANCE IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY IN TERMS OF MEAN (SD) VO2 MAX (< 0.001) AND TREADMILL TIME (P < 0.001). THERE WAS NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN BODY COMPOSITION AND HEMOGLOBIN LEVEL. CONCLUSIONS: REGULAR YOGA PRACTITIONERS DEMONSTRATED THE IMPROVEMENT IN PULMONARY FUNCTIONS, CARDIORESPIRATORY FITNESS, ENDURANCE, AND FLEXIBILITY. 2021 20 2232 27 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