Research articles

Here you might find modern research articles that prove the benefits of breathing gymnastics:

Reducing stress level

• Experiment that shows how deep breathing lowers oxidative stress levels, lowers cortisol levels and highers melatonin levels. [Diaphragmatic Breathing Reduces Exercise-Induced Oxidative Stress (Daniele Martarelli, Mario Cocchioni, Stefania Scuri, and Pierluigi Pompei, 2009)]
  

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<spoiler>Diaphragmatic breathing is relaxing and therapeutic, reduces stress, and is a fundamental procedure of Pranayama Yoga, Zen, transcendental meditation and other meditation practices. Analysis of oxidative stress levels in people who meditate indicated that meditation correlates with lower oxidative stress levels, lower cortisol levels and higher melatonin levels. It is known that cortisol inhibits enzymes responsible for the antioxidant activity of cells and that melatonin is a strong antioxidant; therefore, in this study, we investigated the effects of diaphragmatic breathing on exercise-induced oxidative stress and the putative role of cortisol and melatonin hormones in this stress pathway. We monitored 16 athletes during an exhaustive training session. After the exercise, athletes were divided in two equivalent groups of eight subjects. Subjects of the studied group spent 1 h relaxing performing diaphragmatic breathing and concentrating on their breath in a quiet place. The other eight subjects, representing the control group, spent the same time sitting in an equivalent quite place. Results demonstrate that relaxation induced by diaphragmatic breathing increases the antioxidant defense status in athletes after exhaustive exercise. These effects correlate with the concomitant decrease in cortisol and the increase in melatonin. The consequence is a lower level of oxidative stress, which suggests that an appropriate diaphragmatic breathing could protect athletes from long-term adverse effects of free radicals.</spoiler>

• • What oxidative stress does to your body, read here [Oxidative Damage of Nuclear DNA in Liver of Rats Exposed to Psychological Stress (Shuichi Adathi, Ken Kawamura, and Kazuo Takemoto, 1993)]

Balances the hormone level

• Improves mood [Serotonin, noradrenaline, dopamine metabolites in transcendental meditation-technique (Bujatti M, Riederer P., 1976)]
• Meditation that includes deep regular breathing affects blood ingredients [Hormonal and biochemical responses to transcendental meditation (R. Cooper, B. I. Joffe, J. M. Lamprey, A. Botha, R. Shires, S. G. Baker, and H. C. Seftel, 1985)]