Effects of Yoga on Heart Rate and Heart Rate Variability Responses to Stress

Introduction: Yoga has been shown to reduce stress and have benefits for a number of stress-related disorders. However, the effects of an acute bout of yoga practice on cardiac autonomic response to and recovery from stress remain unclear. This study aimed to examine the effect of a single bout of yoga on heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) response to and recovery from mental stress.

Materials and Methods: This study was conducted with a randomized, counterbalanced, crossover design. A total of 44 participants completed two sessions (yoga and video watching (VW)) in randomly assigned order. After each condition, participants underwent a Stroop task and mental arithmetic task. Electrocardiogram was measured and HR and HRV for resting, each condition, and the stress and recovery periods were analyzed.

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Key information

Conditions

Cardiovascular Reactivity to Stress Behavior Behavioral Symptoms Fractures, Bone Fractures, Stress Stress, Psychological Wounds and Injuries

Age range

20 year–40 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

aged between 20 and 40 years old
a body mass index (BMI) between 18.5 and 30
being sedentary

Exclusion criteria

Electrocardiogram (ECG) abnormalities (e.g., arrhythmia, atrioventricular blocks)
history of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or renal disease
contraindications for exercise (e.g., orthopedic problems)
involvement in any yoga practice
being pregnant or nursing
use of tobacco products or medications that may affect cardiovascular function

Treatment and study plan

Hatha yoga

Behavioral

The yoga poses were chosen for providing a restorative session based on their purported relationship to restorative effects to best promote cardiac autonomic recovery from mental stress.

Video Watching

Behavioral

The video was about the history of the Earth which encompasses the development of the planet Earth from its formation to the present day.

Primary outcomes

Heart Rate

Time frame: up to 5 minutes

Heart rate was derived from continuous heart rate recording, at a sampling rate of 1024 Hz, using an electrocardiogram (ECG) system
Heart Rate Variability

Time frame: up to 5 minutes

Heart rate variability was derived from continuous heart rate recording, at a sampling rate of 1024 Hz, using an electrocardiogram (ECG) system

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital

Other

Registry information

Official study title

The Effects of Acute Yoga Practice on Heart Rate and Heart Rate Variability Responses to Mental Stress

Important dates

Study start: 2013
Primary completion: 2015
Study completion: 2015
First posted: May 21, 2021
Registry last updated: May 21, 2021

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.

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