Assessment of Cardiovascular Parameters during Meditation with Mental Targeting in Varsity Swimmers
T. Rich, Robert Pfister, J. Alton, D. Gerdt, M. Baruch
Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine February 11, 2016 DOI: 10.1155/2016/7923234 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Prospective cohort study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 13 |
| Population | Varsity swimmers |
| Interventions | Reflective exercise (RE) breathing and targeted mental attention to an internal pulsatile sensation |
| Duration | 8-week training period |
| Measures | heart rate, blood pressure, heart rate variability (HRV) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Over 8 weeks of reflective exercise training, blood pressure and heart rate variability variance increased. In nine of thirteen swimmers, increased low-frequency HRV was significantly associated with awareness of the pulsatile sensation that is basic to the practice. The authors propose that further HRV monitoring during meditation with mental imagery could aid understanding of neurocardiac mechanisms relating meditation to enhanced immunity. |
Abstract
Introduction. Athletes who develop an immunosuppressed state because of intensive training get upper respiratory infections (URIs) and may respond to meditation. Reflective exercise (RE), a westernized form of Qigong, combines meditation, breathing, and targeted mental attention to an internal pulsatile sensation, previously shown to protect varsity swimmers from URIs during the height of training. We report here the evaluation of cardiovascular parameters measured during meditation combined with targeted imagery (interoception) in a cohort of varsity swimmers taught RE. Methods. Thirteen subjects were enrolled on a prospective protocol that used the CareTaker, a noninvasive cardiovascular monitor before, during, and after RE training. Questionnaires regarding targeted mental imagery focusing on a pulsatile sensation were collected. The cardiovascular parameters include heart rate, blood pressure, and heart rate variability (HRV). Results. Increased variance in the subjects' BP and HRV was observed over the training period of 8 weeks. In nine subjects there was an increased low frequency (LF) HRV that was significantly (p < 0.05) associated with the subject's awareness of the pulsatile sensation that makes up a basic part of the RE practice. Summary. These data support further evaluation of HRV measurements in subjects while meditating with mental imagery. This direction could contribute to better understanding of neurocardiac mechanisms that relate meditation to enhanced immunity.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Undergraduate students | 2006 | Observational cohort | |
| Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders Patients with generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder with or without agoraphobia | 1992 | Observational cohort | n = 22 |
| Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Participants with extensive Insight meditation experience and matched controls | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 20 |
| Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Experienced meditators and matched meditation-naive controls | 2011 | Observational cohort | |
| Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Long-term Buddhist practitioners and controls | 2004 | Observational cohort |