1 751 64 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 2 438 21 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 3 880 24 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 4 1508 12 IS MAN ABLE TO BREATHE ONCE A MINUTE FOR AN HOUR?: THE EFFECT OF YOGA RESPIRATION ON BLOOD GASES. THE VENTILATORY RESPONSE TO HYPERCAPNIA AND ARTERIAL BLOOD GASES DURING UJJAI RESPIRATION OF ONCE PER MINUTE FOR AN HOUR WERE DETERMINED IN A PROFESSIONAL HATHA YOGI. THE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT LOWER CHEMOSENSITIVITY TO HYPERCAPNIA IN YOGA PRACTITIONERS MAY BE DUE TO AN ADAPTATION TO LOW ARTERIAL PH AND HIGH PACO2 FOR LONG PERIODS. 2002 5 865 27 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 6 2775 23 YOGA RESPIRATORY TRAINING IMPROVES RESPIRATORY FUNCTION AND CARDIAC SYMPATHOVAGAL BALANCE IN ELDERLY SUBJECTS: A RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIAL. OBJECTIVES: SINCE AGEING IS ASSOCIATED WITH A DECLINE IN PULMONARY FUNCTION, HEART RATE VARIABILITY AND SPONTANEOUS BAROREFLEX, AND RECENT STUDIES SUGGEST THAT YOGA RESPIRATORY EXERCISES MAY IMPROVE RESPIRATORY AND CARDIOVASCULAR FUNCTION, WE HYPOTHESISED THAT YOGA RESPIRATORY TRAINING MAY IMPROVE RESPIRATORY FUNCTION AND CARDIAC AUTONOMIC MODULATION IN HEALTHY ELDERLY SUBJECTS. DESIGN: 76 HEALTHY ELDERLY SUBJECTS WERE ENROLLED IN A RANDOMISED CONTROL TRIAL IN BRAZIL AND 29 COMPLETED THE STUDY (AGE 68 +/- 6 YEARS, 34% MALES, BODY MASS INDEX 25 +/- 3 KG/M(2)). SUBJECTS WERE RANDOMISED INTO A 4-MONTH TRAINING PROGRAM (2 CLASSES/WEEK PLUS HOME EXERCISES) OF EITHER STRETCHING (CONTROL, N=14) OR RESPIRATORY EXERCISES (YOGA, N=15). YOGA RESPIRATORY EXERCISES (BHASTRIKA) CONSISTED OF RAPID FORCED EXPIRATIONS FOLLOWED BY INSPIRATION THROUGH THE RIGHT NOSTRIL, INSPIRATORY APNOEA WITH GENERATION OF INTRATHORACIC NEGATIVE PRESSURE, AND EXPIRATION THROUGH THE LEFT NOSTRIL. PULMONARY FUNCTION, MAXIMUM EXPIRATORY AND INSPIRATORY PRESSURES (PE(MAX) AND PI(MAX), RESPECTIVELY), HEART RATE VARIABILITY AND BLOOD PRESSURE VARIABILITY FOR SPONTANEOUS BAROREFLEX DETERMINATION WERE DETERMINED AT BASELINE AND AFTER 4 MONTHS. RESULTS: SUBJECTS IN BOTH GROUPS HAD SIMILAR DEMOGRAPHIC PARAMETERS. PHYSIOLOGICAL VARIABLES DID NOT CHANGE AFTER 4 MONTHS IN THE CONTROL GROUP. HOWEVER, IN THE YOGA GROUP, THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN PE(MAX) (34%, P<0.0001) AND PI(MAX) (26%, P<0.0001) AND A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN THE LOW FREQUENCY COMPONENT (A MARKER OF CARDIAC SYMPATHETIC MODULATION) AND LOW FREQUENCY/HIGH FREQUENCY RATIO (MARKER OF SYMPATHOVAGAL BALANCE) OF HEART RATE VARIABILITY (40%, P<0.001). SPONTANEOUS BAROREFLEX DID NOT CHANGE, AND QUALITY OF LIFE ONLY MARGINALLY INCREASED IN THE YOGA GROUP. CONCLUSION: RESPIRATORY YOGA TRAINING MAY BE BENEFICIAL FOR THE ELDERLY HEALTHY POPULATION BY IMPROVING RESPIRATORY FUNCTION AND SYMPATHOVAGAL BALANCE. TRIAL REGISTRATION CINICALTRIALS.GOV IDENTIFIER: NCT00969345; TRIAL REGISTRY NAME: EFFECTS OF RESPIRATORY YOGA TRAINING (BHASTRIKA) ON HEART RATE VARIABILITY AND BAROREFLEX, AND QUALITY OF LIFE OF HEALTHY ELDERLY SUBJECTS. 2011 7 741 23 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 8 985 28 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 9 887 17 EFFECT OF YOGA TYPE BREATHING ON HEART RATE AND CARDIAC AXIS OF NORMAL SUBJECTS. EFFECT OF INSPIRATORY AND EXPIRATORY PHASES OF NORMAL QUIET BREATHING, DEEP BREATHING AND SAVITRI PRANAYAM TYPE BREATHING ON HEART RATE AND MEAN VENTRICULAR QRS AXIS WAS INVESTIGATED IN YOUNG, HEALTHY UNTRAINED SUBJECTS. PRANAYAM TYPE BREATHING PRODUCED SIGNIFICANT CARDIOACCELERATION AND INCREASE IN QRS AXIS DURING THE INSPIRATORY PHASE AS COMPARED TO EUPNEA. ON THE OTHER HAND, EXPIRATORY EFFORT DURING PRANAYAM TYPE BREATHING DID NOT PRODUCE ANY SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN HEART RATE OR QRS AXIS. THE CHANGES IN HEART RATE AND QRS AXIS DURING THE INSPIRATORY AND EXPIRATORY PHASES OF PRANAYAM TYPE BREATHING WERE SIMILAR TO THE CHANGES OBSERVED DURING THE CORRESPONDING PHASES OF DEEP BREATHING. 1986 10 878 29 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 11 436 14 CARDIORESPIRATORY AND METABOLIC CHANGES DURING YOGA SESSIONS: THE EFFECTS OF RESPIRATORY EXERCISES AND MEDITATION PRACTICES. THE NOVELTY OF THIS STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE THE CHANGES IN CARDIORESPIRATORY AND METABOLIC INTENSITY BROUGHT ABOUT BY THE PRACTICE OF PRANAYAMAS (BREATHING EXERCISES OF YOGA) AND MEDITATION DURING THE SAME HATHA-YOGA SESSION. THE TECHNIQUE APPLIED WAS THE ONE ADVOCATED BY THE HATHA-YOGA SYSTEM. NINE YOGA INSTRUCTORS-FIVE FEMALES AND FOUR MALES, MEAN AGE OF 44+/-11, 6, WERE SUBJECTED TO ANALYSIS OF THE GASES EXPIRED DURING THREE DISTINCT PERIODS OF 30 MIN: REST, RESPIRATORY EXERCISES AND MEDITATIVE PRACTICE. A METABOLIC OPEN CIRCUIT COMPUTERIZED SYSTEM WAS APPLIED (VO2000, MEDGRAPHICS-USA). THE OXYGEN UPTAKE (VO(2)) AND THE CARBON DIOXIDE OUTPUT (VCO(2)) WERE STATISTICALLY DIFFERENT (P