Cardiorespiratory and metabolic changes during yoga sessions: the effects of respiratory exercises and meditation practices.
Marcello Arias Dias Danucalov, Roberto Serafim Simões, Elisa Harumi Kozasa, José Roberto Leite
Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback March 4, 2008 DOI: 10.1007/s10484-008-9053-2 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 9 |
| Population | Yoga instructors (five females, four males), mean age 44 years |
| Intervention | Meditation |
| Duration | Three 30-minute periods (rest, respiratory exercises, meditation) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Humans Hypercapnia Carbon dioxide Breathing exercises Yoga Energy metabolism Oxygen consumption Heart rate Respiratory mechanics Rest Software Adult Middle aged Female Lipid metabolism Cardiovascular physiological phenomena |
| Key findings | Oxygen uptake and carbon dioxide output differed significantly across the rest, pranayama, and meditation phases of a single hatha-yoga session, indicating that yoga breathing exercises and meditation alter cardiorespiratory and metabolic intensity relative to rest. The authors present this as a novel within-session comparison of these practices. |
Abstract
The novelty of this study was to investigate the changes in cardiorespiratory and metabolic intensity brought about by the practice of pranayamas (breathing exercises of yoga) and meditation during the same hatha-yoga session. The technique applied was the one advocated by the hatha-yoga system. Nine yoga instructors-five females and four males, mean age of 44+/-11, 6, were subjected to analysis of the gases expired during three distinct periods of 30 min: rest, respiratory exercises and meditative practice. A metabolic open circuit computerized system was applied (VO2000, MedGraphics-USA). The oxygen uptake (VO(2)) and the carbon dioxide output (VCO(2)) were statistically different (P
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 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 6
- Breath of Life: The Respiratory Vagal Stimulation Model of Contemplative Activity Frontiers in Human Neuroscience October 9, 2018
- Oxygen Consumption Changes With Yoga Practices Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine July 17, 2013
- Meditação, bem-estar e a ciência psicológica: revisão de estudos empíricos Interação em Psicologia June 5, 2012
- Meditation as a non-pharmacological treatment for narcolepsy: A literature review. Sleep Medicine June 24, 2025
- Pranayama: Bridging Ancient Wisdom and Modern Science for Holistic Well-Being Contemporaneity of English Language and Literature in the Robotized Millennium June 20, 2026
and 1 more in the library
Cites 7
- Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 8, 2004
- Physiological Effects of Transcendental Meditation Science March 27, 1970
- Catecholamine levels in practitioners of the transcendental meditation technique. Physiology & Behavior January 2001
- Effects of the Transcendental Meditation program on adaptive mechanisms: changes in hormone levels and responses to stress after 4 months of practice. Psychoneuroendocrinology May 1997
- The physiology of meditation: a review. A wakeful hypometabolic integrated response. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews 1992
and 2 more in the library