Kouksundo, a traditional Korean mind-body practice, regulates oxidative stress profiles and stress hormones.
Hwi-Jin Im, Yoon-Jung Kim, Hyeong-Geug Kim, Hyo-Seon Kim, Chang-Gue Son
Physiology & Behavior March 15, 2015 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2014.12.049 (opens in new tab) via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA traditional Korean mind-body practice, Kouksundo, reduces oxidative stress markers and alters stress hormones. In 57 trainees, a single session (90 minutes total) lowered blood levels of reactive oxygen species, nitric oxide, and malondialdehyde, while increasing superoxide dismutase and decreasing catalase. Cortisol, norepinephrine, and dopamine decreased, while epinephrine increased. Total antioxidant capacity and glutathione were unchanged. The practice appears to offer health benefits through these biological changes.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Single-arm observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 57 |
| Population | Kouksundo trainees (34 males and 23 females) |
| Intervention | Kouksundo practice |
| Duration | Single session (25 min warm-up, 45 min breathing meditation, 20 min cool-down) |
| Keywords | Kouksundo Mind–body practice Oxidative stress Stress hormone |
| Key finding | A single session of Kouksundo practice reduced oxidative stress markers and altered stress hormone levels in healthy trainees. |
Abstract
Kouksundo is a traditional Korean mind-body practice that has been practiced for thousands of years. We investigated the effects of Kouksundo on oxidative stress-related biomarkers and stress hormones. A single-arm observational study was conducted on 57 Kouksundo trainees (34 males and 23 females). Blood samples were collected 30 min before and after Kouksundo practice (25 min for warm-up, 45 min for breathing meditation, and 20 min for cool-down). Kouksundo significantly reduced serum levels of oxidant markers, including reactive oxygen species (p<0.01), nitric oxide (p<0.01), and malondialdehyde (p<0.05), induced elevation of superoxide dismutase (p<0.01), and reduction of catalase (p<0.001). No significant changes were observed in total antioxidant capacity or total glutathione content levels (p>0.05). Kouksundo practice also significantly reduced the serum level of cortisol (p<0.001), norepinephrine (p<0.001), and dopamine (p<0.05), and significantly increased serum epinephrine concentrations (p<0.05). The traditional Korean mind-body practice Kouksundo provided health benefits by regulating oxidative stress and levels of stress hormones. This study is the first investigation of the changes in oxidative stress and stress hormones induced by mind-body therapy, producing reference data for mechanistic studies on these practices.