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| | EFFECT
OF YOGA TRAINING ON HANDGRIP, RESPIRATORY PRESSURES AND PULMONARY FUNCTION | |
Mandanmohan, Lakshmi Jatiya, Kaviraja Udupa and Ananda Balayogi
Bhavanani
Department of
Physiology, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education &
Research (JIPMER), Pondicherry - 605 006
| | Abstract:
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.
| | Key words:
Yoga training, pulmonary functions, respiratory muscle strength,
muscle endurance
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There are a number of reports on the effect of yoga training on pulmonary
functions like forced expiratory volume (FEV), forced expiratory volume in
1st second (FEV1) and peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) (1, 2, 3, 4, 5).
However, very few workers have studied the effect of yoga training on
respiratory pressures i.e. maximum expiratory pressure (MEP) and maximum
inspiratory pressure (MIP). Respiratory pressures are easily measured,
objective and sensitive indices of respiratory muscle strength and can be
altered in disease states even when other commonly measured pulmonary
function tests show little abnormality (6). In an earlier work, we have
found that yoga training for 12 weeks results in a significant improvement
in MEP and MIP in normal young volunteers (7). In the same study, we also
observed a significant increase in handgrip strength (HGS) after yoga
training and this is in agreement with the findings of other workers (8,
9, 10). However, the effect of yoga training on handgrip endurance (HGE)
has been studied by only a few workers. While Tran et al (10) have
reported a significant increase in muscular endurance after 8 weeks yoga
training program, Dash and Telles (11) have concluded that yoga training
does not increase muscle endurance. Handgrip dynamometry is an indicator
of muscle function and nutritional status. As an objective and accurate
physiological test that is easy to perform, it can be used as a bedside
test to predict preoperative nutritional status and postoperative
complications (12). Keeping this in mind, we planned to study the effect
of yoga training on these parameters. Since most of the studies on the
effect of yoga training on pulmonary functions have been conducted on
subjects above 18 yr in age, the present study was carried out on school
going children from younger age (12-15 yr) group. | | |
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