AUTHOR=Park So-Young , Yang Woo-Hwi 

TITLE=Applied high-intensity interval cardio yoga improves cardiometabolic fitness, energetic contributions, and metabolic flexibility in healthy adults

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Physiology

VOLUME=14

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physiology/articles/10.3389/fphys.2023.1279505

DOI=10.3389/fphys.2023.1279505

ISSN=1664-042X

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Purpose:</bold> Currently, there is no interventional approach to increase the intensity of Surya Namaskar a popular hatha yoga sequence used worldwide. Therefore, this study investigated how tempo-based high-intensity interval cardio yoga (HIICY) and traditional interval hatha yoga (TIHY) affects cardiometabolic fitness in active adults.</p><p><bold>Methods:</bold> Twenty physically active male and female individuals were randomly separated into HIICY (5 males, 5 females, 1.5 s tempo) and TIHY (5 males, 5 females, 3 s tempo) groups. The intervention included twelve exercise sessions for 4 weeks in both groups. Participants conducted a ramp test to determine their maximal oxygen uptake (<inline-formula id="inf1"><mml:math id="m1" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mrow><mml:mover accent="true"><mml:mi mathvariant="normal">V</mml:mi><mml:mo>˙</mml:mo></mml:mover></mml:mrow></mml:math></inline-formula>O<sub>2max</sub>), maximal velocity at <inline-formula id="inf2"><mml:math id="m2" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mrow><mml:mover accent="true"><mml:mi mathvariant="normal">V</mml:mi><mml:mo>˙</mml:mo></mml:mover></mml:mrow></mml:math></inline-formula>O<sub>2max</sub> (v<inline-formula id="inf3"><mml:math id="m3" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mrow><mml:mover accent="true"><mml:mi mathvariant="normal">V</mml:mi><mml:mo>˙</mml:mo></mml:mover></mml:mrow></mml:math></inline-formula>O<sub>2max</sub>), and maximal heart rate (HR<sub>max</sub>). Afterward, they performed a 10-min high-intensity cardio yoga test (HICYT) to determine heart rate (HR<sub>peak</sub> and HR<sub>mean</sub>), oxygen uptake (<inline-formula id="inf4"><mml:math id="m4" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mrow><mml:mover accent="true"><mml:mi mathvariant="normal">V</mml:mi><mml:mo>˙</mml:mo></mml:mover></mml:mrow></mml:math></inline-formula>O<sub>2peak</sub> and <inline-formula id="inf5"><mml:math id="m5" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mrow><mml:mover accent="true"><mml:mi mathvariant="normal">V</mml:mi><mml:mo>˙</mml:mo></mml:mover></mml:mrow></mml:math></inline-formula>O<sub>2mean</sub>), respiratory exchange ratio (RER), blood lactate concentrations (La<sup>−</sup><sub>peak</sub> and ∆La<sup>−</sup>), fat and carbohydrate oxidations (FATox, CHOox), and energetic contributions (oxidative; <italic>W</italic><sub>Oxi</sub>, glycolytic; <italic>W</italic><sub>Gly</sub>, and phosphagen; <italic>W</italic><sub>PCr</sub>, total energy demand; <italic>W</italic><sub>Total</sub>).</p><p><bold>Results:</bold><inline-formula id="inf6"><mml:math id="m6" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mrow><mml:mover accent="true"><mml:mi mathvariant="normal">V</mml:mi><mml:mo>˙</mml:mo></mml:mover></mml:mrow></mml:math></inline-formula>O<sub>2max</sub> and v<inline-formula id="inf7"><mml:math id="m7" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mrow><mml:mover accent="true"><mml:mi mathvariant="normal">V</mml:mi><mml:mo>˙</mml:mo></mml:mover></mml:mrow></mml:math></inline-formula>O<sub>2max</sub> showed time and group × time interactions (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.01, <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.0001, <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.001, respectively). <inline-formula id="inf8"><mml:math id="m8" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mrow><mml:mover accent="true"><mml:mi mathvariant="normal">V</mml:mi><mml:mo>˙</mml:mo></mml:mover></mml:mrow></mml:math></inline-formula>O<sub>2max</sub> after HIICY was significantly higher than in pre-testing and following TIHY (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.001, <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.0001, respectively). <inline-formula id="inf9"><mml:math id="m9" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mrow><mml:mover accent="true"><mml:mi mathvariant="normal">V</mml:mi><mml:mo>˙</mml:mo></mml:mover></mml:mrow></mml:math></inline-formula>O<sub>2peak</sub>, <inline-formula id="inf10"><mml:math id="m10" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mrow><mml:mover accent="true"><mml:mi mathvariant="normal">V</mml:mi><mml:mo>˙</mml:mo></mml:mover></mml:mrow></mml:math></inline-formula>O<sub>2mean</sub>, RER, HR<sub>peak</sub>, and HR<sub>mean</sub> during the 10-min HICYT showed significant time effects (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05). ∆La<sup>−</sup> indicated a group × time interaction (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05). Group x time interaction effects for FATox at the fourth and sixth minute were observed (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05, respectively). Absolute (kJ) and relative (%) <italic>W</italic><sub>Oxi</sub>, <italic>W</italic><sub>Gly</sub>, and <italic>W</italic><sub>Total</sub> showed time and group × time interaction effects (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05, <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.01, respectively). Furthermore, %<italic>W</italic><sub>Gly</sub> was reduced following HIICY (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05). Additionally, <inline-formula id="inf11"><mml:math id="m11" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mrow><mml:mover accent="true"><mml:mi mathvariant="normal">V</mml:mi><mml:mo>˙</mml:mo></mml:mover></mml:mrow></mml:math></inline-formula>O<sub>2max</sub> and v<inline-formula id="inf12"><mml:math id="m12" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mrow><mml:mover accent="true"><mml:mi mathvariant="normal">V</mml:mi><mml:mo>˙</mml:mo></mml:mover></mml:mrow></mml:math></inline-formula>O<sub>2max</sub> were highly correlated with <italic>W</italic><sub>Oxi</sub> in kJ (<italic>r</italic> = 0.91, 0.80, respectively). Moderate to high correlations were observed among CHOox, FATox, and absolute <inline-formula id="inf13"><mml:math id="m13" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mrow><mml:mover accent="true"><mml:mi mathvariant="normal">V</mml:mi><mml:mo>˙</mml:mo></mml:mover></mml:mrow></mml:math></inline-formula>O<sub>2max</sub> (<italic>r</italic> = 0.76, 0.62, respectively).</p><p><bold>Conclusion:</bold> A 4-week period of HIICY improved cardiometabolic fitness, oxidative capacity, and metabolic flexibility compared with TIHY, in physically active adults. Therefore, HIICY is suitable as HY-specific HIIT and time-efficient approach for relatively healthy individuals.</p>