The Science of Pranayama

As a little girl, I would visit my grandmother in Chandigarh where she would tell me all about the benefits of a daily pranayama (breathing) practice. Even as a kid, I questioned everything so when my grandma told me “This practice will help you live longer” my mind drew a big question-mark. 20 years later, I find myself digging into the science behind what my grandma said and being humbled.

While modern medicine is still catching up to alternative medicine, we have seen some significant clinical studies showing the effects & benefits of a daily pranayama practice. While these just touch the surface of truth, many studies are yet to come to prove and uncover the benefits of this practice. If you are a skeptic, follow along because I am going to help you pair science with yoga.

Based on published clinical studies from journals, Pranayama has the following effects:

1. It contributes to performance enhancement in athletes & runners

In a study analyzing competitive swimmers (1), a spirometry was used to measure lung function, a sport anxiety scale to measure performance anxiety, and the number of strokes per breath to measure performance. Results showed that yoga breathing practices, specifically Vibhagiya Pranayama, Bhastrika Pranayama and Nadi Shodhana, helped enhance respiratory endurance in competitive swimmers.

In another study analyzing runners (2), findings showed that runners who incorporate pranayama have enhanced ventilatory functions of lungs, as the techniques increase the oxygen uptake by the lungs.

2. It improves lung functions

Participants were given yoga breathing techniques and assessed for lung capacity, expiration volume, expiration flow rate and maximum ventilation of lungs (2). Findings showed that all measures significantly increased for the group practicing Bhastrika Pranayama, showing that pranayama increases lung capacity & the rate of expiration.

In another study (7), a spirometer was used to measure vital capacity and maximal ventilatory volume for control subjects practicing anulom vilom and bhastrika pranayama. Results showed that a pranayama training program improves lung capacity and maximal ventilatory volume.

3. Improves exercise tolerance in patients with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)

A pilot study successfully demonstrated that pranayama was associated with improved exercise tolerance in patients with COPD (1). Pranayama also resulted in small improvements in inspiratory capacity and air trapping.

This suggests, that while pranayama is not often prescribed or recommended to patients with respiratory diseases, it could benefit and aid in their recovery.

4. Regulates Blood pressure & heart rate

A study done to evaluate the immediate effect of slow pace bhastrika pranayama (6) measured blood pressure and heart rate before and after participants practiced 5 minutes of bhastrika pranayama.

Results showed that in the pranayama practicing group, systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased significantly with a slight fall in heart rate. Including slow breathing in your daily routine is definitely recommended for people with high or low blood pressure.

5. Reduces inflammation in the body

Inflammation is a process by which your body’s white blood cells protect you from infection from outside invaders, such as bacteria and viruses. But in some diseases, like arthritis, your immune system triggers inflammation even when there are no invaders to fight off. This causes autoimmune diseases, where the body is essentially flighting itself.

Cytokines are pro-inflammatory markers found in human saliva. According to (9), salivary cytokines was detecting in response to yogic breathing. This essentially links pranayama to a decrease of inflammation and an improved immune response.

6. Reduces Stress

Fast & slow pranayama techniques including Kapalabhati, Bhastrika , Nadi shodhana and Savitri were given as pranayama program to participants (8). Parameters, including a perceived stress scale (PSS), was recorded before and after 12 weeks. Results showed perceived stress scale, and reaction time improved significantly in both fast and slow pranayama groups.

7. Improves working memory & Neural Processing

In (8) it was concluded that fast pranayama techniques in particular including kapalbhati & Bhastrika have additional effects on executive function, working memory, central neural processing and sensory-motor performance.

Another study shows MRI results from patients who underwent a 4-week pranayama routine . Results show the association of pranayama with the activity in part a the brain network linked to awareness, attention and emotional processing (10).

8. Helps with Anxiety

One month of pranayama training led to significantly decreased levels of state of negative affect and anxiety, increased positive affect. MRI changes suggested the involvement of the amygdala and anterior insula in pranayama, parts of the brain associated with changes in activity and connectivity in a few brain areas involved in emotion processing (10).

Reduced anxiety as an effect of pranayama have long been observed in various studies (10,11,12,13). Stress reduction observed after a yoga breathing training has been associated with the predominance of parasympathetic activity found after the practice. The parasympathetic nervous system is associated with our bodies rest & digest response. This opposes the sympathetic nervous system response, which is associated with our flight & fight response.

9. Last but not least, it has been linked to longevity

My favorite finding, especially since I was such a skeptic when my grandma told me “Pranayama helps you live longer” was a study that followed 554 men and 641 women from the age of age of 20 to 89 years in the US. The purpose of the study was to investigate the predictive value of pulmonary function by gender after 29 years of follow-up, as previous studies linked pulmonary function to mortality. The results suggest that pulmonary function, which has been shown to improve with a daily pranayama practice, is a long-term predictor for overall survival rates in both genders and could be used as a tool in general health assessment (4).

So there you have it!

Science backs up this sacred practiced passed down by my grandma and yogis for over thousands of years. These studies just begin exploring the benefits on these practices. Through consistent practice of pranayama, you can improve your mental & physical health.

Ready to start your pranayama practice? Download the below guide to learn the various techniques, instructions, and physical and mental benefits.

Happy breathing :)