Evaluation of the Effect of Left Nostril Breathing on Cardiorespiratory Parameters and Reaction Time in Young Healthy Individuals

Sheela Bargal, Vivek Nalgirkar, Anant Patil, Deepak Langade, Sheela Bargal, Vivek Nalgirkar, Anant Patil, Deepak Langade

Abstract

Background: Pranayama, a yogic breathing practice, produces several physiological responses in healthy individuals. Hypertension is a critical and booming public health challenge all over the world. Yoga is one of the effective methods to reduce blood pressure (BP) and pulse rate (PR).

Objective: To evaluate the effect of left nostril breathing (LNB) exercise on cardiorespiratory parameters and reaction time (RT) in young healthy individuals.

Materials and methods: In this study, 106 young healthy individuals between 18 and 25 years of age were included. The systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), pulse rate (PR), respiratory rate (RR), vital capacity (VC), peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR), and reaction time (RT) of volunteers were recorded at baseline (before exercise) and after two weeks of left nostril breathing exercise performed 45 minutes daily.

Results: There was a significant reduction in SBP (126.64 ± 15.51 mmHg versus 116.29 ± 11.91 mmHg; Cohen's d (effect size): 0.87; p < 0.0001)), DBP (76.57 ± 14.87 mmHg versus 71.07 ± 11.39 mmHg; Cohen's d: 0.48; p < 0.0001), PR (85.32 ± 15.44/minute versus 81.77 ± 13.02/minute; Cohen's d: 0.27; p < 0.0001), and RR (14.26 ± 2.15/minute to 13.17 ± 2.03/minute; Cohen's d: 0.54; p < 0.0001). A significant increase was observed in VC (3.42 ± 0.62 versus 3.67 ± 0.65; Cohen's d: 0.39; p < 0.0001) and PEFR (467.81 ± 46.66 versus 498.29 ± 51.50; Cohen's d: 0.59; p < 0.0001). There was a significant decrement in auditory reaction time (ART) (164.36 ± 27.20 ms versus 143.84 ± 20.32 ms; Cohen's d: 0.85; p < 0.0001) and visual reaction time (VRT) (190.25 ± 31.48 ms versus 163.75 ± 21.72 ms; Cohen's d: 0.98; p < 0.0001). There was no significant change in maximum heart rate (MHR) after cardiorespiratory activity (CRA) (p > 0.434).

Conclusion: Left nostril breathing is associated with a decrease in cardiovascular parameters and an increase in VC and PEFR. This technique may be useful for putting up a fight against the stress and strain of daily life. This simple exercise may also be a beneficial adjuvant to pharmacological therapy in hypertensive patients.

Keywords: high blood pressure; parasympathetic tone; respiratory rate; sympathetic response; yoga research.

Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Copyright © 2022, Bargal et al.

References

    1. The relationship of autonomic imbalance, heart rate variability and cardiovascular disease risk factors. Thayer JF, Yamamoto SS, Brosschot JF. Int J Cardiol. 2010;141:122–131.
    1. Varunmalhotra: the short term effect of pranayama on the lung parameters. Shankarappa V, Prashanth P, Annamalai N. J Clin Diagn Res. 2012;6:27–30.
    1. Effect of slow and fast pranayamas on reaction time and cardiorespiratory variables. Madanmohan Madanmohan, Udupa K, Bhavanani AB, Vijayalakshmi P, Surendiran A. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol. 2005;49:313–318.
    1. Sudarshan Kriya yogic breathing in the treatment of stress, anxiety, and depression: part I-neurophysiologic model. Brown RP, Gerbarg PL. J Altern Complement Med. 2005;11:189–201.
    1. Improvement in oxidative status with yogic breathing in young healthy males. Bhattacharya S, Pandey US, Verma NS. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol. 2002;46:349–354.
    1. Effect of left nostril breathing in hypertensives. Naik A, Biswas DA, Patel S. J Indian Acad Clin Med. 2012;13:15–17.
    1. Lifestyle modification in hypertension in the Indian context. Chaturvedi M, Jindal S, Kumar R. J Indian Acad Commun Med. 2009;10:46–51.
    1. Blood pressure response to cold pressor test in siblings of hypertensives. Rajashekar RK, Niveditha Y, Ghosh S. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol. 2003;47:453–458.
    1. Effect of left & right nostril breathing on R-R interval among adult males - a cross-sectional study. Dhandayutham A, Veliath S, Das S, Viswanathan AR, Kavitha U. Int J Biomed Res. 2015;6:87–91.
    1. Alternate nostril breathing: a systematic review of clinical trials. Ghiya S. Int J Med Sci. 2017;5:3273–3286.
    1. Effect of yogic practice on pulmonary functions in young females. Yadav RK, Das S. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol. 2001;45:493–496.
    1. Influence of alternate nostril breathing on cardiorespiratory and autonomic functions in healthy young adults. Srivastava RD, Jain N, Singhal A. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol. 2005;49:475–483.
    1. Effect of short term 'Pranayam' practice on breathing rate and ventilatory functions of lung. Joshi LN, Joshi VD, Gokhale LV. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol. 1992;36:105–108.
    1. Effect of yoga training on reaction time, respiratory endurance and muscle strength. Madanmohan Madanmohan, Thombre DP, Balakumar B, Nambinarayanan TK, Thakur S, Krishnamurthy N, Chandrabose A. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol. 1992;36:229–233.
    1. Role of pranayama breathing exercises in rehabilitation of coronary artery disease patients - a pilot study. Yadav A, Singh S, Singh KP. Indian J Tradit Knowl. 2009;8:455–458.
    1. Effect of left, right and alternate nostril breathing on verbal and spatial memory. Garg R, Malhotra V, Tripathi Y, Agarawal R. J Clin Diagn Res. 2016;10:0–3.
    1. American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Quantity and quality of exercise for developing and maintaining cardiorespiratory, musculoskeletal, and neuromotor fitness in apparently healthy adults: guidance for prescribing exercise. Garber CE, Blissmer B, Deschenes MR, et al. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2011;43:1334–1359.
    1. The science of exercise prescription: Martti Karvonen and his contributions. Maya I, Benny L, Shannon W, Saul I. B C Med J. 2017;59:38–41.
    1. Accuracy of commonly used age-predicted maximal heart rate equations. Shookster D, Lindsey B, Cortes N, Martin JR. Int J Exerc Sci. 2020;13:1242–1250.
    1. Differential effects of uninostril and alternate nostril pranayamas on cardiovascular parameters and reaction time. Bhavanani AB, Ramanathan M, Balaji R, Pushpa D. Int J Yoga. 2014;7:60–65.
    1. Effect of alternate nostril breathing exercise on cardiorespiratory functions. Upadhyay Dhungel K, Malhotra V, Sarkar D, Prajapati R. Nepal Med Coll J. 2008;10:25–27.
    1. Yoga exercise increases chest wall expansion and lung volumes in young healthy Thais. Chanavirut R, Khaidjapho K, Jaree P, Pongnaratorn P. Thai J Pharm Sci. 2006;19:1–7.
    1. Immediate effect of sukha pranayama on cardiovascular variables in patients of hypertension. Bhavanani AB, Sanjay Z, Madanmohan Madanmohan. Int J Yoga Therap. 2011:73–76.
    1. The effects of unilateral forced nostril breathing on the heart. Shannahoff-Khalsa DS, Kennedy B. Int J Neurosci. 1993;73:47–60.
    1. The effects of right and left nostril breathing on cardiorespiratory and autonomic parameters. Jain N, Srivastava RD, Singhal A. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol. 2005;49:469–474.
    1. Sprint starts and the minimum auditory reaction time. Pain MT, Hibbs A. J Sports Sci. 2007;25:79–86.
    1. Voluntary stimulus-sensitive jerks and jumps mimicking myoclonus or pathological startle syndromes. Thompson PD, Colebatch JG, Brown P, Rothwell JC, Day BL, Obeso JA, Marsden CD. Mov Disord. 1992;7:257–262.
    1. Reaction time of young and elderly subjects in relation to perceptual deprivation and signal-on versus signal-off conditions. Kemp BJ. Dev Psychol. 1973;8:268–272.

Source: PubMed

Sponsors et collaborateurs

Les conditions médicales

Interventions en matière de drogue

3
S'abonner