Effects of Yoga on Heart Rate and Heart Rate Variability Responses to Stress

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Cardiovascular Reactivity to Stress
• Interventions: Behavioral: Video Watching; Behavioral: Hatha Yoga

• Registration Number: NCT04897230
• Lead Sponsor: Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital

Brief Summary

Introduction: Yoga has been shown to reduce stress and have benefits for a number of stress-related disorders. However, the effects of an acute bout of yoga practice on cardiac autonomic response to and recovery from stress remain unclear. This study aimed to examine the effect of a single bout of yoga on heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) response to and recovery from mental stress.

Materials and Methods: This study was conducted with a randomized, counterbalanced, crossover design. A total of 44 participants completed two sessions (yoga and video watching (VW)) in randomly assigned order. After each condition, participants underwent a Stroop task and mental arithmetic task. Electrocardiogram was measured and HR and HRV for resting, each condition, and the stress and recovery periods were analyzed.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2013-09-01
• Primary Completion: 2015-03-30
• Study Completion: 2015-03-30
• Status Verified: 2021-05
• Study First Submitted: 2021-05-12
• Study First Submitted QC: 2021-05-20
• Last Update Submitted: 2021-05-20
• Study First Posted: 2021-05-21
• Last Update Posted: 2021-05-21

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 44

Inclusion Criteria

• aged between 20 and 40 years old
• a body mass index (BMI) between 18.5 and 30
• being sedentary

Exclusion Criteria

• Electrocardiogram (ECG) abnormalities (e.g., arrhythmia, atrioventricular blocks)
• history of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or renal disease
• contraindications for exercise (e.g., orthopedic problems)
• involvement in any yoga practice
• being pregnant or nursing
• use of tobacco products or medications that may affect cardiovascular function

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: CROSSOVER

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Control Condition	Video Watching	Participants in the control condition were watching a neutral video on a television.
Hatha Yoga Condition	Hatha Yoga	An experienced yoga instructor led the 30 minutes yoga condition session which consisted of 5 minutes warm up, 5 minutes breathing exercises, and 20 minutes yoga poses practice. The yoga props were used according to each participant's particular body type and needs to help he/she achieve precise yoga postures safely and comfortably.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Heart Rate Variability	up to 5 minutes	Heart rate variability was derived from continuous heart rate recording, at a sampling rate of 1024 Hz, using an electrocardiogram (ECG) system
Heart Rate	up to 5 minutes	Heart rate was derived from continuous heart rate recording, at a sampling rate of 1024 Hz, using an electrocardiogram (ECG) system