DESTRESSING MINDS. STRENGTHENING MUSCLES. YOGA AND ITS EFFECT ON MUSCLE STRENGTH IN HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS. A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS OF RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS

BACKGROUND: Muscle strength is crucially associated with BMD and falls risk. Yoga, an ancient practice that in general combines poses (asanas) and breathing exercises (pranayama), involves seated, standing, as well as supine postures that target most major muscle groups. Though its effects on balance, BMD and falls risk have been evaluated recently(1), studies exploring yoga’s effects on muscle strength have not been systematically reviewed before. We evaluated randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing yoga’s effects on hand grip strength (HGS) and lower limb strength (LLS) against no intervention controls (NIC) and active interventions (AC) such as Pilates, core stabilization exercises, and Taichi in healthy individuals. METHODS: We systematically searched scientific databases following a predefined protocol. Heterogenous data were qualitatively summarized. We conducted a meta-analysis of studies comparing yoga to NIC and AC, using standardized mean differences (SMDs) to pool outcomes. RESULTS: Twenty-five RCTs involving 1817 participants aged 6–90 years were analyzed. Yoga styles included Hatha, Ashtanga, Iyengar, Bikram etc. Yoga significantly improved HGS compared to NIC [SMD 0.50 (95% CI 0.04–0.97); P = 0.03; I2 = 77%]. A single study that compared yoga to AC reported positive HGS effects, with no between-group differences. Yoga also significantly enhanced LLS compared to NIC [SMD 1.51 (95% CI 0.86–2.15); P < 0.00001; I2 = 84%] and AC [SMD 0.44 (95% CI 0.14–0.74); P = 0.004; I2 = 8%]. Intervention lengths, and assessment methods showed significant heterogeneity. CONCLUSION: Yoga significantly enhances HGS and LLS in healthy individuals compared to controls, with modest improvement in LLS and comparable benefits in HGS to AC. Future research should standardize protocols to better explore optimal yoga practices for muscle strengthening and their mechanisms