A 12-Week Yoga-Based Lifestyle Intervention Might Positively Modify Cellular Aging in Indian Obese Individuals: A Randomized-Controlled Trial

Psychophysiological Adaptations to Yoga Practice in Overweight and Obese Individuals: A Topical Review

Physical activity has been documented as a foundational approach for weight management and obesity, improving several cardiometabolic and mental health indices. However, it is not clear whether yoga practice can induce beneficial improvements in anthropometric and body composition parameters, performance, metabolic health, and well-being among overweight/obese people. The aim of this topical review was to catalog training studies examining the psychophysiological responses to yoga interventions in order to detect which outcomes have been investigated, the research methods applied, and the conclusions. The inclusion/exclusion criteria were met by 22 published articles involving 1178 (56% female) overweight/obese participants. This brief review on yoga-induced adaptations demonstrates that this widely used meditative movement activity can meaningfully improve the vast majority of the selected markers. These beneficial alterations are focused mostly on various anthropometric and body composition variables, cardiovascular disease risk factors, physical fitness parameters, quality of life, and stress in previously inactive overweight/obese individuals. Instead, yoga-based physical exercise interventions investigating anxiety, depression, mood state, exercise enjoyment, affect valence, and adherence were limited. Further research should focus on the yoga intervention configuration and potential mechanisms behind favorable changes in various psychophysiological indices through large-scale, rigorously designed randomized controlled trials implementing long-term interventions in overweight/obese individuals.

Transcriptional modulation of inflammation, and aging in Indian obese adults following a 12-week yoga-based lifestyle intervention: A randomized controlled trial

Introduction

Obesity is one of the major global problems in today's world, both in children, and the adult age group. Current evidence suggests obesity alters the expression of various genes related to oxidative stress, inflammation, and aging. In recent times complementary therapy like yoga-based lifestyle intervention (YBLI) is used as an adjunct therapy to modern medicine. This study examines the efficacy of 12 weeks of yoga-based lifestyle intervention with standard care (SC) on the expression of genes related to oxidative stress, inflammation, and aging in obese adults.

Methods

This was a two-arm parallel randomized control trial implemented at Integral Health Clinic (IHC), an outpatient facility that regularly conducted YBLI programs for the prevention of lifestyle diseases like obesity and diabetes in the Department of Physiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi. Blood samples at baseline and weeks 2,4, and 12 were collected from 72 adults (male n = 21; female n = 51) of age 20–45 years with a body–mass index (BMI) of 25–35 kg/m² who were randomized to receive either a 12-week SC (n = 36) or YBLI (n = 36). SC included recommendations for the management of obesity as per Indian guidelines including a low-calorie individualized diet and physical activity. Asana (physical postures), pranayama (breathing exercises), and meditation were all part of the YBLI. Primary outcomes were relative fold change in the expression of genes associated with oxidative stress [Nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-Kappa B)], inflammation [Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα), interleukin-6 (IL-6)], and aging [human telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT)] in peripheral blood mononuclear cells between the two groups at week-12.

Results

There were no significant changes in fold change of TERT, IL-6, and NF-kappa B between the groups at week 12. The relative fold change of TERT was significantly greater in the YBLI group (p = <0.0001) vs the SC group at 2 weeks. The relative fold change of TNF α was significantly lower at week 12 in YBLI though the change was not continuous and reliable. Within both groups, TERT expression was significantly increased at week 2 though the change was greater in the YBLI group (p < 0.0001). TNF α gene expression was significantly lower at weeks 2 and 4, compared to baseline level, in the SC group but it increased at week 12.

Conclusion

The results while did not confirm our hypothesis, are important to share with the scientific society, to be able to improve prospective study designs and find optimal time/intervention/biological marker settings for this highly important scientific field. The results are suggestive of a positive impact of YBLI and SC on the fold change of aging-related TERT gene in obesity, though the benefit was not evident till week 12. However, the results should be evaluated with caution and in light of other published studies. To better understand the positive effects of YBLI on oxidative stress, inflammation, and aging-related gene expression in obesity, larger studies are recommended.