Key result
Yogic breathing matches physical activity for resting heart rate reduction, lowering rate by ~6 bpm.
Why the study?
Both yogic breathing and physical activity influence autonomic function, but direct comparisons of their short-term effects on standardised parasympathetic and sympathetic indices were limited.
Does a 5-week yogic breathing programme improve cardiac autonomic regulation parameters compared to a structured physical activity programme in healthy young adults?
RCT (n=170)
Assessor-blinded
Computer-generated block randomisation (block size 4), stratified by gender and baseline stress level (1:1)
No
Does a 5-week yogic breathing programme improve cardiac autonomic regulation parameters compared to a structured physical activity programme in healthy young adults?
Five weeks of yogic breathing and structured physical activity provide complementary benefits on cardiac autonomic regulation in young adults, with yogic breathing superior for reflex parasympathetic responsiveness and orthostatic diastolic control, and physical activity superior for blunting sympathetic reactivity to isometric stress.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Comparable autonomic benefits support either intervention for young adults; extends direct RCT comparisons of yogic breathing versus exercise.
Background: Both yogic breathing and physical activity influence autonomic function, but direct comparisons of their short-term effects on standardised parasympathetic and sympathetic indices are limited.Methods: This randomised controlled trial assigned 170 healthy young adults (aged 18-34 years) to either a 5-week yogic breathing programme (n=85) or a 5-week structured physical activity programme (n=85).Assessments at baseline and post-intervention included resting heart rate, E: I ratio, 30:15 ratio, standing diastolic blood pressure, and systolic/diastolic blood pressure responses to isometric handgrip.Within-group changes were analysed with paired t-tests; between-group changes were compared using unpaired t-tests.Results: Both interventions significantly improved all autonomic parameters (p<0.05 to p<0.0001).Between-group comparisons showed equivalent reductions in resting heart rate (yoga: -5.67±8.34bpm; physical activity: -5.73±7.25 bpm, p=0.9601) and equivalent increases in E: I ratio.However, the yoga group exhibited significantly greater improvements in the 30:15 ratio (0.033±0.04 vs. 0.020±0.02,p=0.0081) and standing diastolic blood pressure reduction (-3.82±2.53 vs. -2.65±2.18mmHg, p=0.0015).Conversely, the physical activity group showed greater attenuation of handgrip systolic (-6.34±3.44 vs. -5.14±3.26mmHg, p=0.0208) and diastolic (-5.72±2.36 vs. -4.46±2.18mmHg, p=0.0004) pressor responses.Conclusion: Five weeks of yogic breathing or physical activity both improve cardiac autonomic regulation.Yogic breathing enhances reflex parasympathetic responsiveness and orthostatic diastolic control more effectively, while physical activity better blunts sympathetic reactivity to isometric stress.These complementary effects support integrating both modalities for autonomic resilience in young adults.
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A 2026 study conducted an RCT in Cardiac autonomic regulation in healthy young adults (n=170). Yogic breathing programme vs. Structured physical activity programme (30–35 min sessions at 60–80% estimated maximal heart rate, 6 sessions/week) was evaluated on Resting heart rate reduction (bpm) (p=0.9601). Yogic breathing and physical activity achieved equivalent resting HR reductions (-5.67 vs -5.73 bpm, p=0.9601), with yoga superior for 30:15 ratio (p=0.0081) and exercise for handgrip BP (p=0.0004).
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