Immediate Effect of Specific Nostril Manipulating Yoga Breathing Practices on Autonomic and Respiratory Variables

Abstract

The effect of right, left, and alternate nostril yoga breathing (i.e., RNYB, LNYB, and ANYB, respectively) were compared with breath awareness (BAW) and normal breathing (CTL). Autonomic and respiratory variables were studied in 21 male volunteers with ages between 18 and 45 years and experience in the yoga breathing practices between 3 and 48 months. Subjects were assessed in five experimental sessions on five separate days. The sessions were in fixed possible sequences and subjects were assigned to a sequence randomly. Each session was for 40 min; 30 min for the breathing practice, preceded and followed by 5 min of quiet sitting. Assessments included heart rate variability, skin conductance, finger plethysmogram amplitude, breath rate, and blood pressure. Following RNYB there was a significant increase in systolic, diastolic and mean pressure. In contrast, the systolic and diastolic pressure decreased after ANYB and the systolic and mean pressure were lower after LNYB. Hence, unilateral nostril yoga breathing practices appear to influence the blood pressure in different ways. These effects suggest possible therapeutic applications.

Effect of breathing practices on visual and auditory reaction time of adolescent population in Madurai, India -A comparison of right and left nostril breathing

“…Studies have proved that fast breathing exercises practiced for the same amount of time as slow breathing exercises had not altered the autonomic functions. 2,13 Reaction time also changed significantly with changes in duration of voluntary breathing.…”

Alternate nostril breathing: a systematic review of clinical trials

“…[7][8][9][10][11][12][13] Eleven studies included subjects who were practitioners of breathing exercises and other components of yoga. [14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24] Their experience ranged from seven days to eighty-six months. Twenty-six studies did not provide details regarding prior yoga experience.…”

“…Thirteen studies exclusively used male subjects as participants; two studies had only female subjects as participants and the other studies tested males and females. 14,15,17,19,21,22,[24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31]46 The outcome parameters which did not show any significant changes are not mentioned under the results column. ANB-alternate nostril breathing, M-male, F-female, BAW-breath awareness (participants pays conscious attention to natural flow of breath),HRV-heart rate variability, BP-blood pressure, ↑-increase, ↓-decrease, PR-pulse rate interval-systolic blood pressure, DBP-diastolic blood pressure, BR-breathing rate,NN50-the number of interval differences of successive normal to normal intervals greater than 50 ms, RMSSD-the square root of the mean of the sum of squares of differences between adjacent NN intervals, LF-low frequency on HRV The rapid active exhalations are accomplished by rapid, forceful movements of the abdomen followed by passive, effortless inhalation, Valsalva ratio-a measure of the change of heart rate that takes place during a period of forced expiration against a closed glottis or mouth piece, Bradycardia ratio -(from ECG recording of Valsalva maneuver) Longest R-R interval shortly after the strain/ Mean R-R interval of the period of 30 sec before the strain, Tachycardia ratio -(from ECG recording of Valsalva maneuver)Shortest R-R interval during the strain/Mean R-R interval of the period of 30 sec before the strain, Standing to lying ratio (S/L ratio)-the ratio of longest R-R interval during the 5 beats before lying down to shortest R-R interval during 10 beats after lying down , Immediate heart rate response to standing (30:15 ratios)-ratio of R-R interval at beat 30 and at beat 15 after standing, Heart rate variation with respiration (E/I ratio) -the sum of the six longest R-R intervals divided by the sum of the six shortest R-R intervals (Bannister et al 1992), FPA-Finger plethysmograph amplitude, DBD-Heart rate response to deep breathing, ART-auditory reaction time, VRT-visual reaction time, T-body temperature, CO-cardiac output, SV-stroke volume, CI-cardiac index, SVI-stroke volume index, SPR/SVR-systemic vascular resistance, SVRI-systemic vascular resistance index, QTc-QT interval, QRS-QRS intervalDifferent studies have noted different acronyms for same terminology (mean arterial pressure as MAP or MP).…”

“…Eighteen studies used technique which requires one nostril to breath in and opposite to breath out (for example, left nostril to breath in and right nostril to breath out, followed by right nostril to breath in and left nostril to breath out). 4,6,[14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23]30,[32][33][34][35][36] Seven of these studies did not specify which nostril was blocked first or if they started with inhalation or exhalation. 6,15,16,19,22,30,36 In 14 studies, subjects were asked to hold their breath and/or were given specific duration for inhalation, breath retention and exhalation phase (Table 1 for details) while performing ANB.…”

“…4,6,[14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23]30,[32][33][34][35][36] Seven of these studies did not specify which nostril was blocked first or if they started with inhalation or exhalation. 6,15,16,19,22,30,36 In 14 studies, subjects were asked to hold their breath and/or were given specific duration for inhalation, breath retention and exhalation phase (Table 1 for details) while performing ANB. [7][8][9][10][11][12][13]27,29,31,[37][38][39][40][41] Six studies included the following pattern: breathe out through left nostril, then breathe in through right nostril and repeat this pattern once, twice or three times, before switching the nostrils to breathe out through right nostril, breathe in through left nostril and repeat this once, twice or three times before switching again.…”