Improvement in resilience and stress-related blood markers following ten months yoga practice in Antarctica

Mohit Nirwan; Kaushik Halder; Mantu Saha; Anjana Pathak; Ragavendrasamy Balakrishnan; Lilly Ganju

doi:10.1515/jcim-2019-0240

Article

Improvement in resilience and stress-related blood markers following ten months yoga practice in Antarctica

Mohit Nirwan , Kaushik Halder , Mantu Saha , Anjana Pathak , Ragavendrasamy Balakrishnan and Lilly Ganju

Published/Copyright: June 19, 2020

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From the journal Journal of Complementary and Integrative Medicine Volume 18 Issue 1

Abstract

Background

Wintering is associated with distress to humans who work in the isolated and confined environment of Antarctica and yoga has been proved helpful for coping with stress. Therefore, a study was conducted on 14 winter expedition members of Indian Scientific Antarctic Expedition (2016) to find out the effects of yoga on stress-related markers.

Methods

Participants were divided into yoga, and control (non-yoga) groups. The yoga group practiced yoga for 10 months (from January to October 2016) daily in the morning for an hour. The Resilience test questionnaire was administrated at baseline and endpoint of the study. Blood samples were collected during the study at different intervals for the estimation of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), serotonin and cortisol using ELISA.

Results

A trend of improvement was observed in the resilience test score in the yoga group. From January to October, 8-OHdG serum values in the yoga group declined by 55.9% from 1010.0 ± 67.8 pg/mL to 445.6 ± 60.5 pg/mL (Mean ± SD); in the control group, the decline was 49.9% from 1060.4 ± 54.6 pg/mL to 531.1 ± 81.8 pg/mL. In serotonin serum levels in the yoga group, there was a 3.1% increase from 6.4 ± 1.6 ng/mL to 6.6 ± 0.4 ng/mL while no increase was noticed in the control group. Cortisol values in the yoga group decreased by 19.9% from 321.0 ± 189.6 ng/mL to 257.1 ± 133.8 ng/mL; in the control group it increased by 2.8% from 241.2 ± 51.8 ng/mL to 247.8 ± 90.9 ng/mL.

Conclusions

It could be concluded from the present study that following 10 months yoga practice may be useful for better resilience and management of stress-related blood markers for the polar sojourners.

Keywords: 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine; brain-derived neurotrophic factor; isolation and confined environment; polar sojourners; serotonin

Corresponding author: Dr. Mantu Saha, Defence Institute of Physiology & Allied Sciences (DIPAS) Defence R & D Organization Timarpur, Delhi-110054, India, Phone: +91 1123883048, E-mail: msaha@dipas.drdo.in

Funding source: Defence Research and Development Organisation

Acknowledgments

The authors are indebted to 35th ISEA expedition members for participation in the study. Authors are grateful to Director, DIPAS, Defence R&D Organisation for providing support and necessary funds to conduct the study. Authors are thankful to the National Center for Polar & Ocean Research for approving and providing the essential logistics’ help to conduct the study.

Research funding: This work was supported by the Defence Institute of Physiology & Allied Sciences (DIPAS), DRDO.
Author contributions: All authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.
Competing interests: Authors state no conflict of interest.
Informed consent: Informed consent was obtained from all individuals included in this study.

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Received: 2019-09-11

Revised: 2020-01-03

Accepted: 2020-01-20

Published Online: 2020-06-19

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https://doi.org/10.1515/jcim-2019-0240

Keywords for this article

8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine; brain-derived neurotrophic factor; isolation and confined environment; polar sojourners; serotonin