Effect of Exercise on Cardiovascular System in Yoga Trained and Untrained School Going Children

Objectives: we evaluated the effect of exercise on cardiovascular parameters in yoga trained and untrained school going children.

Materials and methods: Eighty school going boys of age between 11-15 years were recruited for the study. They were alienated into two groups: 40 yoga trained and 40 yoga untrained based upon yoga training for a minimum of six month period. Cardiovascular parameters like Heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, mean arterial and rate pressure product were measured before and after exercise training by Modified Harvard Step Test.

Results: Yoga untrained group showed significant increase in baseline heart rate, systolic , diastolic BP,MAP and RPP compared yoga trained group [(70±7.54 Vs 86.1± 13.44,p< 0.000), (113.5±9.36 Vs 119.8±7.24,p <0.001),(75.15± 7.5 Vs 81.1± 6.39,p <0.001),(87.93±6.29 Vs 94±5.35,p< 0.000) and (79.68±12.19 Vs 103± 16.39 ,p< 0.000)].Exercise induced increase in heart rate and blood pressure was blunted in yoga trained group compared to untrained group. Conclusion: Six months of yoga training improves cardiovascular parameters.