THE YOGA AND GROWTH HORMONE LEVEL
IN PEOPLE OF MIDDLE AGE.
Summary
The aim of this study is to determine the effect of the techniques of hatha-yoga specially selected, on the production of growth hormone in the middle age groups.
In this pilot study five healthy volunteers (4 men and 1 woman) of the age of 48 years (48.80 ± 7.09) were chosen. To maintain group uniformity, anthropo-physiological parameters such as: height, weight, body mass index (BMI), hand muscle strength, resting heart rate, peak expiratory flow, were measured before and after six weeks of practicing the yoga.
Growth hormone basal concentrations in the blood were measured using an enzyme immunoassay before and after six weeks of yoga practice. The study was conducted in an experimental group, using selective testing (carried out "before" and "after") of t-Student with a standard deviation (which allows you to determine whether the values of the whole group can be different from the mean value).
Using the anthropo-physiological indicators, the following values were recorded: (p-value): Weight (p = 0.38), BMI (p = 0.52), right hand muscle strength (p = 0.57), left hand muscle strength (p = 0.66), resting heart rate (p = 0.26), systolic blood pressure (p = 0.48), diastolic blood pressure (p = 0.84), respiratory rate at rest (p = 0.0023), peak expiratory flow (p = 0.01).
The production of growth hormone after six weeks of practicing yoga has been improved:
before the practice it was: 0.29 ± 0.35 ng / ml
after practice it became: - 0.93 ± 1.40 ng / ml (p = 0.37)
Introduction
the aging is associated with a gradual decrease in the activity of all physiological functions of the person. human growth hormone plays a fundamental role in the regeneration of almost all body tissues and influences metabolism. the hormone level reaches its maximum at the age of puberty, then this level falls by 14% per decade.
Hall et al. (2001) reported that physical exercise is very important to stimulate growth hormone secretion and maintain a positive training effect on its generation (Ambrosio et al., 1996, Horber et al., 1996) .
age, the constitution and the physical form of the individual have an influence on the secretion of growth hormone, which is increased by the practice of physical activity (Stokes, 2003).
The basal level of the hormone increases after jogging (Weltman et al., 1992), endurance training (Mannetta et al., 2002), strength training with progressive load (Craiqet al., 1989) and speed training (Stokes et al., 2004). Regular exercise also increases the initial level of growth hormone in the elderly (Ari et al., 2004, Lanfranco et al., 2003, Ravaglia et al., 2001).
The effect of the practice of growth hormone secretion yoga had never been thoroughly investigated before.
The aim of this study is to analyze the effect of yoga exercises specific on the production of growth hormone on middle-aged people.
Method
Topics
The study involves five healthy volunteers (4 males and 1 female) aged 48 (48.80 +/- 7.09) years from Bolpur City, Birdham District, West Bengal, India. All subjects belonged to a single socioeconomic caste and were unfamiliar with the practice of hatha yoga.
Anthropo-physiological measures
Height was measured to the nearest centimeter, using the DRBON scale. Weight was measured to the nearest 100 g using a full-scale floor scale. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated using the standard formula: weight in kg / height in meters squared. Indicators of muscle strength of the hands were measured by a wrist dynamometer (Lafayette dynamometer, model 78010).
Resting heart rate and blood pressure - by the OMRON Varied Electronic Blood Pressure Monitor (Model 0200 769 L). Respiratory rate was measured manually, and peak expiratory flow - using a spirometer (CE0318, made in Spain).
Taking Growth Hormone Measurements
On an empty stomach (at least 12 hours after the meal). the growth hormone level in serum was measured by enzyme immunoassay (ELISA) in Pathological Biochemistry Laboratory, Bolpur, West Bengal, and Ranbaxy Pathology Laboratory (Pharmaceutical Group) in Bombay, India.
The protocol of hatha yoga practice
The activity program has been developed in accordance with the level of physical health of the practitioners. The practice consisted of several rounds of Surya Namaskar (dynamic sequence), kriyas (cleaning procedures), the asanas (static postures), the pranayama (breath control) and meditation. A detailed report is given in Table 1.
Table 1. The detailed protocol for the practice of haha yoga
Statistical analysis
With a probability of uniformity of 95%, the results of the study are uniform and therefore the measurements of the sample can be applied throughout the study.
Results
Anthropo-physiological data
To determine the homogeneity of the sample in the current study, the following parameters were analyzed: height, weight, body mass index (BMI), muscle strength of both hands, resting heart rate , blood pressure (systolic and diastolic), respiratory rate and peak expiratory flow. All these data were recorded before and after six weeks of yoga practice (Table 2).
Table No. 2. Anthropo-physiological parameters:
growth hormone data
The basal concentration of TSH in the blood of the experimental group before and after six weeks of yoga practice is shown in Table 3.
Table No. 3. Growth hormone indicators in the experimental group:
Diagram 1. The effect of yoga practice on growth hormone production, in the experimental group (middle-aged) before and after the introduction of yoga practice: GH values (ng/ml)
Discussion
The study was designed to observe the effect of the practice of haha yoga on the production of growth hormone (GH) in a group of middle-aged people in India. It was found that the GH level increased after six weeks of training. The type of mechanism for increasing the growth hormone secretion after exercise is not determined by a specific exercise.
growth hormone secretion in the pituitary gland is regulated by the hormones of the hypothalamus: somatoliberin and somatostatin. The first is the main stimulator of the secretion of growth hormone, the second - inhibits its production.
Such physiological variables as: food, stress, sleep, ultradian and circadian rhythms, and physical exercise - are responsible for the secretion of hypothalamus somatoliberin and somatostatin, as well as the functioning of the mechanism of the growth hormone production in the human body (George et al, 2003, Chahal et al., 2007).
Also, there is a positive relationship between sex hormones and growth hormone. Intense and regular exercise in men in older age groups leads to higher levels of growth hormone and testosterone (Hurel et al., 1999). Strength training can stimulate growth hormone and testosterone secretion regardless of age, but is more pronounced in younger age groups compared to older ones (Craig et al., 1989).
In the long term, physical exercises reduce reaction time and increase the volume of the testosterone and growth hormone, even in men of older age groups. the enriched blood by testosterone and growth hormone can be very helpful for brain function (Ari et al., 2004).
Brief endurance exercise decreases cortisol levels and increases secretion of anabolic hormones (Kostka et al., 2003).
Physical exercise is an important regulator of exogenous secretion (which comes from outside) of growth hormone in the human body (Lanfranco et al., 2003). Ambrosio et al. showed us the increasing stimulation of the growth hormone production compared to the control group, with sedentary subjects.
The effect of growth hormone yoga practice also caught the attention of researchers. Maclean et al. (1997) studied the behavior of thyroid-stimulating hormones in the experimental group before and after 4 months of meditation practice compared to control groups under stress reduction conditions.
In the first group, baseline cortisol levels decreased, and the testosterone and growth hormone levels increased accordingly. In the current study, as in previous ones, a higher level of growth hormone was recorded after the introduction of the practice of hatha yoga, which can positively affect the condition of middle-aged people and contribute to healthy aging. In the future, more in-depth, daily investigation will be needed to draw conclusions about the impact of the practice on growth hormone secretion.
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The authors: Chatterjee, Sridip and Mondal, Samiran (“Yoga Mimansa”, April 2010)
Translation: Aleksei Papin
