Diaphragmatic Breathing Reduces Exercise-induced Oxidative Stress.

Diaphragmatic breathing is relaxing and therapeutic, reduces stress, and is a
fundamental procedure of Pranayama Yoga, Zen, transcendental meditation and other
meditation practices. Analysis of oxidative stress levels in people who meditate
indicated that meditation correlates with lower oxidative stress levels, lower
cortisol levels and higher melatonin levels. It is known that cortisol inhibits
enzymes responsible for the antioxidant activity of cells and that melatonin is a
strong antioxidant; therefore, in this study, we investigated the effects of
diaphragmatic breathing on exercise-induced oxidative stress and the putative
role of cortisol and melatonin hormones in this stress pathway. We monitored 16
athletes during an exhaustive training session. After the exercise, athletes were
divided in two equivalent groups of eight subjects. Subjects of the studied group
spent 1 h relaxing performing diaphragmatic breathing and concentrating on their
breath in a quiet place. The other eight subjects, representing the control
group, spent the same time sitting in an equivalent quite place. Results
demonstrate that relaxation induced by diaphragmatic breathing increases the
antioxidant defense status in athletes after exhaustive exercise. These effects
correlate with the concomitant decrease in cortisol and the increase in
melatonin. The consequence is a lower level of oxidative stress, which suggests
that an appropriate diaphragmatic breathing could protect athletes from long-term
adverse effects of free radicals.