The physiological effects of pranayamas involving uni and bilateral nostril yoga breathing

Abstract

Previous studies of nostril regulated yoga breathing have focused on unilateral breathing with both inspiration and expiration through a specified nostril. However, traditionally described yoga breathing involves inspiration through one nostril and expiration through the other, called suryabheda pranayama or right nostril inspiration yoga breathing and chandrabheda pranayama or left nostril inspiration yoga breathing, which have not been investigated in a comparative, crossover trial. The effects of these practices on metabolic and autonomic variables i.e., heart rate variability, oxygen consumption, blood pressure and oxygen saturation were investigated here. Aims newlineThe present study is aimed at studying the effects of three yoga breathing techniques (right nostril inspiration yoga breathing or suryabheda pranayama, left nostril inspiration yoga breathing or chandrabheda pranayama and alternate nostril yoga breathing or anuloma-viloma pranayama) and two control practices (breath awareness and quiet rest) on metabolic and autonomic variables. newlineObjectives newlineThe objectives are to assess the effects of right nostril inspiration yoga breathing, left nostril inspiration yoga breathing, alternate nostril yoga breathing, breath awareness and quiet rest on (i) Metabolic variables (VO2, VCO2, EE, RQ, EE CHO and EE Fat) newline(ii) Heart rate variability (Mean HR, Mean RR interval, RMSSD, NN50, pNN50, LF power, HF power and ratio of LF/HF ratio) and breath characteristics (RR, DOI, DOE, Ratio (I/E), average depth) newline(iii) Non-invasive blood pressure (SBP, DBP and MAP) newline(iv) Peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2) Methods newlineParticipants newlineForty-seven healthy males, ranging in age from 18 to 46 years (group average age S.D., 26.34 ± 6.38 years) with BMI group average ± SD, 21.16 ± 2.22 kg/m2, were recruited from a state private university in north India where they had a fixed routine that included regular morning yoga practice and attendance at classes related to yoga philosophy and principles. The sample size was not calculated a priori, however,