Take a moment to breathe and set your oxidative anxiety aside.
Cesare Rech
Fitness Business Manager & Head Coach | Team Leadership | Performance Optimization | MBA Candidate | BSc; NASM; Food Coach | Ex Virgin Active
In this meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials, breathing exercises worked their magic by reducing signs of oxidative stress and boosting our antioxidant status markers.
So, what did they investigate?
They delved into the effects of breathing exercises on those signals that tell us how stressed we are by oxidation, and on how our army of antioxidants is doing. Among the oxidative stress red flags were malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH), nitric oxide (NO), vitamin C, and total antioxidant capacity (TAC).
And who were the stars of this study?
Nothing special, just 519 participants, including healthy young folks and adults with conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), hypertension, and diabetes. Quite the team, don't you think?
How did they put them to the test?
Well, they dug up a collection of 10 randomized controlled trials that examined the impact of various breathing exercises on these oxidative stress markers. The research was carried out in places like Thailand (2 studies), India (5 studies), and even in Korea, China, and the United States (with one study each). The breathing exercises included things like slow and deep breathing, respiratory/inspiratory muscle training, diaphragmatic breathing, pranayama, and leg lifting breathing.
What did they find out?
In short, breathing exercises brought down MDA levels (less stress!), while raising SOD and GSH levels (the antioxidant superheroes) without touching markers like NO, vitamin C, or TAC.
A sigh of relief for you! ????