Yoga Effects on Heart Rate Variability and Electroencephalography

Effects of Yoga on Heart Rate Variability, Electroencephalography, Quality of Life and Salivary Cortisol of Healthy Adult Subjets

Since yoga breathing exercises are traditionally used to tranquilize the mind, and have a well-known positive effect on the cardiovascular system, it is our hypothesis that a respiratory yoga exercise named bhastrika pranayama may have positive effects on heart rate variability, electroencephalography, quality of life and salivary cortisol (stress hormone).

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Quality of Life; Health Behavior
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: 1 month respiratory training; Behavioral: 1 month waiting period

Detailed Description

The effects of yoga interventions on heart rate variability have been previously shown in our laboratory, having its efficacy in improving autonomic heart modulation of hypertensives and elderly subjets proven. However, there is a lack of data addressing the effects of such interventions on EEG patterns of health fit male subjects, as well as there are no study investigating if there is a relationship between heart autonomic modulation changes and EEG patterns. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of 1 month respiratory yoga training on heart rate variability, EEG, salivary cortisol and quality of life of health fit male subjets.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 30
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Brazil
  • Rio Grande do Norte
    • Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, 59078-970
      • Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte - UFRN

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 25 years to 45 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: Male

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Young adults;
• Physically fit (engaged in physical activity at least 2-3 times a week);
• Non athletes;
• Possibility to follow protocol agenda.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Epileptic events in previous 5 years;
• Chronic allergic rhinitis, with airway occlusion;
• Oral bronchodilator usage;
• Beta blocker user;
• Any diagnosed cardiac rhythm alteration at rest;
• Cerebral dysrhythmia;
• Previous training in respiratory yoga exercises.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Group 1; 1 month respiratory training	Behavioral: 1 month respiratory training; Bhastrika yoga respiratory training: 30 kapalabhati and 1 surya bedhana form 1 bhastrika; Behavioral: 1 month waiting period; waiting or detraining period
Experimental: Group 2; 1 month waiting period	Behavioral: 1 month respiratory training; Bhastrika yoga respiratory training: 30 kapalabhati and 1 surya bedhana form 1 bhastrika; Behavioral: 1 month waiting period; waiting or detraining period

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Changes from baseline electroencephalography measures of brain waves at 1 and 2 months	64 active electrodes electroencephalography	baseline, one month, two months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
frequency domain heart rate variability	R-R interval autoregressive spectral analysis	study entry, one month, two months
salivary cortisol		study entry, one month, two months
quality of life	quality of life will be addressed by the World Health Organization Questionaire of Quality of Life in its brief form	study entry, one month, two months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Sao Paulo
• Collaborators: Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Danilo F Santaella, Ph.D., University of São Paulo and Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: January 1, 2013
• Primary Completion (Actual): March 1, 2014
• Study Completion (Actual): March 1, 2014

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 23, 2013
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 28, 2013
• First Posted (Estimate): May 31, 2013

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): June 15, 2015
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 11, 2015
• Last Verified: June 1, 2015

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Yoga; Quality of life; Electroencephalography; Heart rate variability; Breathing Exercises
• Other Study ID Numbers: 184.583