A brief mindfulness meditation intervention (Integrative Body-Mind Training, or IBMT) alters testosterone and cortisol responses to acute stress differently than relaxation training. In a pilot randomized controlled trial, 20-minute sessions of IBMT or relaxation training were given before and after a stress task. Both groups showed increased cortisol and testosterone after stress, but testosterone rise was not linked to cortisol rise. An additional practice after stress led to higher testosterone in the IBMT group and higher cortisol in the relaxation group. The authors suggest IBMT modulates a dual-hormone profile via the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal and hypothalamus-pituitary-testicular axes.
Transcendental meditation training over 8 weeks lowered awakening salivary cortisol levels and produced a greater drop in cortisol awakening response from baseline to week 4 compared to a wait-list control group in young adults. No significant differences were observed in HPA axis functioning during a social stress test at week 8. The pilot randomized controlled trial included 27 completers (41% male). The authors note the small sample and wait-list control as limitations, concluding that TM may influence biological stress system functioning and warrants further study.
A loving-kindness and compassion meditation (LKCM) program for pregnant women improved maternal-fetal attachment, positive emotion, mindfulness, and positive fetal movement experience more than yoga or no treatment, with gains lasting at least one month after the program ended.
Adding compassion meditation to a mindfulness meditation program yields greater improvements in pain, quality of life, depression, anxiety, acceptance, and life satisfaction for chronic musculoskeletal pain patients than mindfulness meditation alone. Twenty participants attended seven weekly 90-minute sessions; the compassion group received an additional 20 minutes per session. The mindfulness-only group showed significant improvements in pain, depression, and state anxiety, but not in other psychological measures. The compassion-added group improved on all measures, and benefits persisted at follow-up.