Kouksundo, a Traditional Korean Mind-Body Practice, Regulates Oxidative Stress Profiles and Stress Hormones.

Abstract
BACKGROUND:
Kouksundo is a traditional Korean mind-body practice that has been practiced for thousands of years. We investigated the effects of Kouksundo on oxidative stress-related biomarkers and stress hormones.
METHODS:
A single-arm observational study was conducted on 57 Kouksundo trainees (34 males and 23 females). Blood samples were collected 30min before and after Kouksundo practice (25min for warm-up, 45min for breathing meditation, and 20min for cool-down).
RESULTS:
Kouksundo significantly reduced serum levels of oxidant markers, including reactive oxygen species (p<0.01), nitric oxide (p<0.01), and malondialdehyde (p<0.05), induced elevation of superoxide dismutase (p<0.01), and reduction of catalase (p<0.001). No significant changes were observed in total antioxidant capacity or total glutathione content levels (p>0.05). Kouksundo practice also significantly reduced the serum level of cortisol (p<0.001), norepinephrine (p<0.001), and dopamine (p<0.05), and significantly increased serum epinephrine concentrations (p<0.05).
CONCLUSION:
The traditional Korean mind-body practice Kouksundo provided health benefits by regulating oxidative stress and levels of stress hormones. This study is the first investigation of the changes in oxidative stress and stress hormones induced by mind-body therapy, producing reference data for mechanistic studies on these practices.
Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Inc.
KEYWORDS:
Kouksundo; Mind-body practice; Oxidative stress; Stress hormone
PMID: 25555367