Effects of Yoga on Experimental Dyspnea and Pain in Healthy Adults: A Randomized Crossover Study

Background: Dyspnea and pain are subjective sensations influenced by emotional and cognitive factors, often limiting the effectiveness of pharmacological treatments. Yoga has been explored as a non-pharmacological approach, but most studies rely on subjective reports rather than quantitative measures. This study assessed dyspnea and pain in healthy adults using respiratory resistance and thermal stimulation before and after a single yoga session to clarify its immediate sensory effects under controlled conditions. Methods: In this randomized crossover trial, 27 adults underwent both a 60-min yoga session and a control rest condition. The sensations of dyspnea, pain threshold, and heart rate variability (coefficient of variation of R-R intervals [CVRR]) were assessed before and after yoga and rest sessions. Dyspnea response was quantified using slope values derived from log-transformed Borg scores. Statistical analyses included t -tests, correlation coefficients, and regression models. Significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: Twenty-seven subjects completed both trials. Compared with the control condition, the yoga condition significantly reduced dyspnea ratings at higher resistance levels and decreased the slope of Borg scores ( p < 0.001). Pain threshold did not differ between conditions overall but showed a significant positive correlation with yoga experience ( ρ = 0.51, p = 0.01). CVRR increased significantly only in experienced yoga practitioners. Conclusion: A single yoga session may produce immediate reductions in dyspnea regardless of prior experience. Pain relief and autonomic enhancement were observed only in experienced yoga practitioners, indicating distinct mechanisms and practice-dependent effects across symptoms.