Mukha Bhastrika research paper

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Indian J Physiol Pharmacol 2003; 47(3) Mukh Bhastrika on Reaction Time 297

*Corresponding Author

ACUTE EFFECT OF MUKH BHASTRIKA (A YOGIC BELLOWS

TYPE BREATHING) ON REACTION TIME

ANANDA BALAYOGI BHAVANANI, MADANMOHAN*

AND KAVIRAJA UDUPA

Department of Physiology,

Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research,

(JIPMER), Pondicherry – 605 006

( Received on September 30, 2002 )

Abstract : Reaction time (RT) is an index of the processing ability of

central nervous system and a simple means of determining sensory-motor

performance. It has been reported that yoga training improves human

performance including central neural processing. Earlier studies from our

laboratories have shown that yoga training produces a significant decrease

in visual reaction time (VRT) and auditory reaction time (ART). The present

work was planned to determine if mukh bhastrika (a yogic technique in

which breath is actively blasted out in ‘whooshes’ following a deep

inspiration) has any effect on central neural processing by studying its

effect on RT. 22 healthy schoolboys who were practising yoga for the past

three months were recruited for the present study. VRT and ART were

recorded before and after nine rounds of mukh bhastrika. Mukh bhastrika

produced a significant (P<0.01) decrease in VRT as well as ART. A decrease

in RT indicates an improved sensory-motor performance and enhanced

processing ability of central nervous system. This may be due to greater

arousal, faster rate of information processing, improved concentration and/

or an ability to ignore extraneous stimuli. This is of applied value in

situations requiring faster reactivity such as sports, machine operation,

race driving and specialised surgery. It may also be of value to train

mentally retarded children and older sports persons who have prolonged RT.

Key words: mukh bhastrika reaction time

sensory-motor performance central neural processing

INTRODUCTION

The physiological and psychological

benefits of yoga have been demonstrated in

several studies (1, 2, 3, 4). These studies

have shown that regular practice of yoga

leads to improvement in physiological

functions and human performance. Benefits

have been reported in both peripheral nerve

function (5) as well as central neuronal

processing (1, 6, 7). Reaction time (RT) is an

indirect index of the processing ability of

central nervous system and a simple means

of determining sensory-motor association and

performance (8). RT involves central neural

mechanisms and its study is of physiological

interest. It is a sensitive and reproducible

test and its measurement can be done with

Indian J Physiol Pharmacol 2003; 47 (3) : 297–300

298 Bhavanani et al Indian J Physiol Pharmacol 2003; 47(3)

who had received training in yoga for three

months and were able to perform mukh

bhastrika properly, were recruited for this

study. They were briefed about the study

protocol and informed consent was obtained

from them as well as their parents.

Recordings were taken in an air-conditioned

laboratory (room temperature 27 ± 1°C) two

hours after a light breakfast. To avoid the

effect of lateralised stimulus, visual and

auditory signals were given from the front

of the subject who was instructed to use his

dominant hand while responding to the signal

(1, 15). RT was measured using a circuit

that had a DC source, two tap keys, a

magnetic time marker and visual/auditory

signal source arranged in series. Signals

obtained by operating the tap keys were

recorded on RM 6000 polygraph (Nihon

Kohden Corporation, Japan). Measurements

were taken before and after nine rounds of

mukh bhastrika by asking the subject to open

as quickly as he could, a tap key that was

connected alternatively to a light or sound

source. Stimulus applied by completing the

circuit was marked by upward deflection of

the signal whereas subject’s response by

breaking the circuit was marked as a

downward deflection. RT was calculated as

the time between these two deflections. The

signals thus obtained were converted into

digital format by analog-digital converter

(Mi2, USA) and analysed with the help of

data processing software (Bio Windows,

Modular Instruments Inc. USA). With this

software the RT was obtained with an

accuracy of 1 ms. More than ten trials were

recorded and mean of three similar

observations was taken as a single value for

statistical analysis (1). The data was analysed

using Student’s paired ‘ t’ test and P values

less than 0.05 were accepted as indicating

significant difference between the compared

values.

simple apparatus and set up. Determination

of RT has important implications in sports

physiology (9) and the performance of an

athlete is dependent on the duration of RT.

It is an index of cortical arousal (6) and a

decrease in it indicates an improved sensorymotor

performance and an enhanced

processing ability of the central nervous

system. It has been found that changes in

breathing period produced by voluntary

control of inspiration are significantly

correlated to changes in RT (10). Physical

conditioning exercises have been shown to

shorten visual reaction time (VRT) as well

as auditory reaction time (ART) (11).

Previous studies on yoga have shown that

regular practice of yoga can significantly

decrease VRT and ART (1, 6). It has also

been suggested that RT can be used as a

simple and objective method to determine

the beneficial effects of yoga training (1, 6).

In an earlier study done in our laboratories,

mukh bhastrika, the bellows type breathing

was one of the yogic practices performed by

the subjects. Mukh bhastrika is a yogic

technique in which the breath is actively

blasted out in multiple ‘whooshes’ with forced

abdominal contractions (12). Agnisar and

bhastrika (yogic techniques that employ

similar forceful abdominal contractions) have

been shown to produce central neuronal

activation (13, 14). As mukh bhastrika may

have a central activating role, we planned

this study to determine the acute effect of

mukh bhastrika on VRT and ART. The study

was conducted on yoga-trained subjects

because they could perform mukh bhastrika

properly and readily volunteered for the

study.

METHODS

Twenty two healthy school boys in the

age group of 13–16 (14.5 ± 1.25, SEM) years

Indian J Physiol Pharmacol 2003; 47(3) Mukh Bhastrika on Reaction Time 299

RESULTS

The results are expressed as Mean ± SEM.

Before mukh bhastrika, VRT was 244.57 ± 5.86

ms and the ART was 198.82 ± 5.86 ms.

Immediately after performing nine rounds

of mukh bhastrika, VRT and ART decreased

to 228.15 ± 5.84 ms and 179.58 ± 6.35 ms

respectively, the decrease being statistically

significant (P<0.01).

DISCUSSION

The present study was conducted on male

subjects to avoid any possible effect of

menstrual phase on RT as reported by earlier

workers (8). In our subjects, pre- mukh

bhastrika ART was significantly shorter than

VRT and this is in agreement with previous

reports (1, 6, 8). After mukh bhastrika also

ART was significantly shorter than VRT.

Although Madanmohan et al (1) and Malathi

et al (6) have reported that yoga training

produces a significant reduction in VRT and

ART, to the best of our knowledge there is

no report on the immediate effect of

pranayam on RT. Kapalabhati, a yogic

breathing practice utilizing abdominal

maneuvers and bellows type breathing that

is similar to mukh bhastrika, has been

reported to increase mental activity (16) and

induce a calm and alert state (17). This type

of ‘ready’ state can explain the mukh

bhastrika-induced shortening of RT in our

subjects. Hatha yogic practices like agnisar,

nauli and bhastrika have been shown to

induce EEG changes around the somatosensory

and parietal areas of the cerebral cortex

suggesting an affective arousal (13, 14). As

these practices utilize forceful abdominal

contractions similar to mukh bhastrika and

bring about EEG changes through strong

stimulation of somatic and splanchnic

receptors (13, 14), we suggest that mukh

bhastrika results in shortening of RT through

similar mechanisms. The faster reactivity of

our subjects after mukh bhastrika can also

be explained on the basis of generalized

alteration in information processing at the

primary thalamo-cortical level that has been

reported during concentrated mental exercise

of pranayam breathing (7).

Mukh bhastrika involves active and rapid

expiratory efforts and it is interesting to note

that hyperventilation has been found to

selectively depress motor cortical inhibition

in humans (18). This release of motor

cortical inhibition may be one of the

mechanisms by which mukh bhastrika results

in shortening of RT. However an important

difference between yogic bellows-type

breathing like mukh bhastrika or kapalabhati

and hyperventilation is that prolonged

hyperventilation produces abnormal EEG

changes whereas there are no abnormal EEG

changes even after 10 minutes of kapalabhati

(16). The present study shows that mukh

bhastrika produces an immediate reduction

in RT. A decrease in RT indicates an

improved sensory-motor performance, which

can be explained on the basis of enhanced

processing ability of central nervous system.

Mukh bhastrika may be improving this

processing ability by i) greater arousal

and faster rate of information processing

ii) improved concentration power and/or

iii) ability to ignore or inhibit extraneous

stimuli. Greater arousal and faster

information processing can be explained on

the basis of mukh bhastrika-induced

alterations in afferent inputs from abdominal

and thoracic regions, which in turn can

modulate the activity at ascending reticular

activating system and thalamocortical levels.

This shortening of RT is of applied value

in situations requiring faster reactivity such

as sports, machine operation, race driving

300 Bhavanani et al Indian J Physiol Pharmacol 2003; 47(3)

and specialised surgery. RT has been

reported to be altered in trainable mentally

retarded children (19). On the basis of the

present study, we suggest that yogic

techniques like mukh bhastrika may be used

as an effective means of training to improve

the RT in such children. It has also been

reported that older soccer players perform

poorly on measures of conceptual thinking,

RT, and concentration (20). We suggest that

yogic techniques like mukh bhastrika may

be used as an effective means of training

such players.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We gratefully acknowledge the financial

support from the Central Council for

Research in Yoga & Naturopathy (CCRYN),

New Delhi.

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Phys Fitness 2002; 42: 103–107.Yogacharya Dr.Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani Chairman

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