Improvement in Visual and Auditory Reaction Time with Reduced Detraining Effects of Yogic Breathing ManoeuversA Non Randomised Controlled Study

Introduction: Earlier, different components of yoga i.e., asanas (static physical postures), Yoga Breathing Manoeuvers (YBM) and meditation were reported to have different magnitude of effects on reaction time. YBM showed greater magnitude of effects on Visual Reaction Time (VRT) and Auditory Reaction Time (ART), than that of asanas in different groups of subjects. So, to observe the effect of different proportions of asanas and YBM in a yoga program on reaction time, with its possible applications in training and in detraining management, the study was undertaken.

Aim: To study the effects of asanas and YBM in different proportions on VRT and ART among the same subjects to explore the magnitude of its effects for applications in training and detraining management.

Materials and Methods: This interventional non randomised controlled study was conducted in the Department of Sports Science and Yoga, Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Educational and Research Institute, Belur Math, West Bengal, India, from July to September 2019 on 32 healthy male, undergraduate student volunteers in the age group of 19-21 years. Subjects were divided into two groups i.e., Yoga Group (YG) and Control Group (CG). CG did not practice yoga. YG practiced yoga for 45 minutes daily, six days per week for 12 weeks. Total time of practicing YBM gradually increased every week. For the first two weeks, it was a session of 45 minutes and from 3rd week YBM was increased by one to two minutes every week up to 6th week. Then, at 7th week it increased by eight minutes. From 8th week to 10th week it increased by one to two minutes in every week. On 11th and 12th week it increased 10-12 minutes on average. Up to 6th week they practiced mostly all asanas. From the 7th week to 12th week mostly YBM were practiced. Thus, at the end of 6th and 12th week, effect of greater duration of mostly all asanas and YBM, respectively were available. Measurements of VRT and ART were taken by ‘Audio-visual reaction timer’, at baseline, 6th week and 12th week end of training on both groups. Study design helped to observe separately the effect of greater duration of asana and YBM practice on same group of subjects. Intragroup and intergroup comparisons were done by repeated measures of Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and unpaired t-test, respectively.

Results: Both YG and CG had similar age, body weight and body fat percentage and activity pattern. So, groups were homogeneous in nature. VRT and ART were improved significantly (p-value <0.001) by greater practice of asanas for six weeks. Similarly greater YBM practice on subsequent six weeks showed further improvement (p-value <0.001) in both parameters, which even masked the natural detraining effects of these parameters due to withdrawal of asana practice, which was reflected in the magnitude of improvement (as obtained from the percentage calculation from difference of mean values between two time points like baseline to 6th week end) at the 6th week end (VRT: 7.4%, ART: 7.8%) as compared to that of 6th to 12th week end (VRT: 10.4%, ART: 11.6% ). YG showed significantly (p-value <0.001) faster VRT and ART than those of CG at the 6th and 12th week end.

Conclusion: Judicious selection of the proportion of asanas, YBM and meditation in a yoga program, optimise Central Nervous System (CNS) arousal with better VRT and ART. YBM helped to reduce detraining effects of reaction time due to the curtailment of asana practice. This might have application in any training and also to counteract detraining effects in sports and among recuperative patients.