The effect of web-based Hatha yoga on psychological distress and sleep quality in older adults: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: To date, there has been very limited experimental research on the impact of Yoga on older adults' mental health during the COVID-19 crisis. We aimed to explore the effect of a web-based Hatha yoga program on psychological and quality of sleep in older adults who self-isolated at home during the initial stage of the COVID-19 outbreak. METHODS: Two hundred volunteers of both sexes were split into experimental (Yoga group, YG) and control (Control group, CG) groups, in a web-based randomized controlled study. All participants were administered the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales (DASS-21) and the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI); at baseline and following an eight-week online Hatha yoga intervention. RESULTS: The YG showed significant reductions in depression (-56.1%; Z = 5.67, p < 0.01, r = 0.70) anxiety (-64.3%; Z = 5.27, p < 0.01, r = 0.65) and stress (-68.2%; Z = 5.86, r = 0.73) scores, while the CG showed a significant increase in depression. In addition, the total PSQI score of the YG was considerably lower during follow-up (3.38 ± 2.02, p < 0.05) than at baseline (4.8 ± 32, p < 0.05), which indicates an improvement of the quality of sleep. The proportion of individuals experiencing good sleep from the YG increased from 63% to 85% after the Hatha yoga intervention. CONCLUSION: The use of a web-based Hatha Yoga intervention program was associated with a beneficial effect on the mental health and quality of sleep in older adults.

Effects of Hatha yoga on cognitive functions in the elderly: a cross-sectional study.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of Hatha yoga practice on cognitive functions in the elderly. Thirty healthy older men participated in this study. They belonged to 2 groups. The first group included 15 Hatha yoga practitioners for at least 2 years. The control group involved 15 male older adults who shared the same characteristics (age, years of formal education, and level of physical activity) as the Hatha yoga group but were naive to yoga, meditation, or any mind-body intervention. Neuropsychological tests were applied to measure selective attention, sustained attention, episodic memory, and processing speed. The following tests were administered: The French adaptation of the Victoria Stroop test, the Zazzo's Cancellation Task, the Five Word Test, and a battery of computerized tests to evaluate reaction time. Long-term Hatha yoga practice showed promising results related to executive functions and reaction time, but no significant difference was found between the two groups in episodic memory and sustained attention although a trend of improvement was observed in favor of Hatha yoga practitioners. In conclusion, long-term Hatha yoga practitioners have better cognitive abilities compared to the control group in certain aspects of cognitive functions. Further physiological and psychological variables need to be examined in order to highlight the correlation between yoga intervention and cognitive performance.

Effects of Ramadan fasting on body composition in athletes: a systematic review.

PURPOSE: In recent decades, the interest for the effects of Ramadan fasting (RF) on health and athletic performance has substantially increased. Moreover, it is widely accepted that body composition is a crucial measure in sport settings to evaluate training programs and optimize nutrition for athletes. This systematic review was conducted to assess the effects of RF on body composition in athletes. DATA SOURCES: An electronic database search was performed on the Web of Science and PubMed/MEDLINE databases from inception to March 2019 using a combination of relevant keywords. STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: RF-related measurements of any body composition indicators in athletes were considered. Only studies published in English language were included. Study appraisal: The quality and validity of the included studies were assessed using "QualSyst". RESULT: Twelve studies met the inclusion criteria for this review, which involved a total of 183 participants (12 female and 171 male athletes) of different sport disciplines. Collectively, the analyzed studies indicate that body mass index, body fat, and body fat percentage were generally lower during Ramadan compared to before Ramadan, while lean mass and total body water were unchanged during Ramadan. CONCLUSION: Despite the importance of body composition control in sport and exercise settings, there are still many aspects of body composition that should be more thoroughly assessed in athletes during the month of Ramadan. More research, especially well-conducted randomized controlled trials, is needed to evaluate the magnitude of body composition changes in athletes during the holy month.

Repeated-sprint training in the fasted state during Ramadan: morning or evening training?

BACKGROUND: The present study assessed the optimal moment of the day for repeated-sprint training in the fasted state during Ramadan. METHODS: Thirty amateur soccer players were randomly assigned to a morning training group (MTG, training at ~08:00 a.m., N.=10), an evening training group (ETG, training around 06:00 p.m., N.=10), and a control group (N.=10). Training sessions, conducted on alternate days, consisted of 3 sets of 6×40-m shuttle sprints (2×20 m with 180° direction changes). A 20-second passive recovery and a 4-minute passive recovery were allowed between repetitions and sets, respectively. Before and after Ramadan, performance was assessed at both 08:00 a.m. and 06:00 p.m. by Countermovement Jump (CMJ), Repeated-Sprint Test (RST), and Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test Level 1 (YYIRT1). RESULTS: After Ramadan, YYIRT1 performances were enhanced for both groups in the morning (7.82% and 6.29% for MTG and ETG, respectively, P<0.05), and in the evening (6.61% and 11.20%, respectively, P<0.05). Relative changes in YYIRT1 (P=0.33) and RST (-2.13% and -3.44% for MTG and ETG, respectively, P=0.49) at the specific time of training were similar for both groups. No differences were observed in CMJ performances before and after Ramadan for any group (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Morning or evening repeated-sprint training conducted in the fasted state during Ramadan enhanced soccer-specific endurance similarly.

Short versus long small-sided game training during Ramadan in soccer players.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of two small-sided game (SSG) training formats (4 × 4 min (SSG-S) and 2 × 8 min (SSG-L)) conducted during Ramadan on Hoff and five-jump (5JT) tests' performances and session rating of perceived exertion (sRPE). DESIGN: Three group, case-control. SETTING: Field tests. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-four male soccer players were divided into 3 groups: 2 groups undertaking 4 weeks of SSG-S (n = 8) or SSG-L (n = 8) during Ramadan and a control group (n = 8). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The Profile of Mood States (POMS) and Hooper questionnaires' scores and 5JT and Hoff test's performances were measured before (BR) and at the end of Ramadan (R4). RESULTS: Compared to BR, fatigue estimated by POMS and Hooper questionnaires was higher at R4 in all groups (ES = 0.77-1.57, p < 0.05). Hoff test distance increased to the same extent in SSG-S and SSG-L groups (+7.38-7.39%, ES = 1.49-1.93, p < 0.001). Mean sRPE scores measured during Ramadan were higher after SSG-L (6.49 ± 0.38) than SSG-S (5.61 ± 0.14) sessions (+15.58%, ES = 2.79, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: SSG training can be implemented as an efficient intervention to avoid detraining and equally improve soccer-specific physical performance during Ramadan. Given the lower perceptual responses associated with shorter SSG sequences, this modality would be better tolerated during the fasting month, and therefore is recommended.

Listening to Music during Warming-Up Counteracts the Negative Effects of Ramadan Observance on Short-Term Maximal Performance.

AIM: The aim of the present study was to examine whether listening to music during warming-up might influence short-term maximal performance (STMP), cognitive anxiety, self-confidence, and enjoyment during Ramadan, and whether these affects might predict STMP. METHODS: Nine male physical education students (age: 21 ± 1.1 years; height: 1.8 ± 0.04 m; body mass: 83 ± 5 kg) volunteered to participate in the present study. A within-subjects design consisted of four experimental sessions: Two sessions occurred one week before Ramadan and two others took place during Ramadan. They were scheduled at 5 p.m. and were conducted as follows: After a 10-minute warm-up either with or without listening to music, each participant performed a 5-m multiple shuttle run test, after which he was asked to answer items intended to assess his affective state during the experimental task. RESULTS: Our findings revealed that STMP was lower during Ramadan than before Ramadan in the no-music condition. Additionally, it was found that STMP was higher in the music condition than in the no-music condition during Ramadan, and that STMP measured before Ramadan did not differ from that measured during Ramadan in the music condition. Regarding affects, the findings revealed that enjoyment was lower during Ramadan than before Ramadan in the music condition, and that cognitive anxiety was lower in the music condition than in the no-music condition before Ramadan. Self-confidence was not influenced by the experimental conditions. CONCLUSION: This study showed that listening to music during warming-up not only would be beneficial for STMP in Ramadan fasters, but also would counteract the negative effects of Ramadan observance on STMP.

Does increasing active warm-up duration affect afternoon short-term maximal performance during Ramadan?

AIM: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of active warm-up duration on short-term maximal performance assessed during Ramadan in the afternoon. METHODS: Twelve healthy active men took part in the study. The experimental design consisted of four test sessions conducted at 5 p.m., before and during Ramadan, either with a 5-minute or a 15-minute warm-up. The warm-up consisted in pedaling at 50% of the power output obtained at the last stage of a submaximal multistage cycling test. During each session, the subjects performed two vertical jump tests (squat jump and counter movement jump) for measurement of vertical jump height followed by a 30-second Wingate test for measurement of peak and mean power. Oral temperature was recorded at rest and after warming-up. Moreover, ratings of perceived exertion were obtained immediately after the Wingate test. RESULTS: Oral temperature was higher before Ramadan than during Ramadan at rest, and was higher after the 15-minute warm-up than the 5-minute warm-up both before and during Ramadan. In addition, vertical jump heights were not significantly different between the two warm-up conditions before and during Ramadan, and were lower during Ramadan than before Ramadan after both warm-up conditions. Peak and mean power were not significantly different between the two warm-up durations before Ramadan, but were significantly higher after the 5-minute warm-up than the 15-minute warm-up during Ramadan. Moreover, peak and mean power were lower during Ramadan than before Ramadan after both warm-up conditions. Furthermore, ratings of perceived exertion were higher after the 15-minute warm-up than the 5-minute warm-up only during Ramadan. CONCLUSION: The prolonged active warm-up has no effect on vertical jump height but impairs anaerobic power assessed during Ramadan in the afternoon.

Effect of active warm-up duration on morning short-term maximal performance during Ramadan.

PURPOSE: To examine the effect of active warm-up duration on short-term maximal performance assessed during Ramadan in the morning. METHODS: Twelve healthy active men performed four Wingate tests for measurement of peak power and mean power before and during Ramadan at 09:00 a.m. The tests were performed on separate days, after either a 5-min or a 15-min warm-up. The warm-up consisted in pedaling at 50% of the power output obtained at the last stage of a submaximal multistage cycling test. Oral temperature was measured at rest and after warming-up. Furthermore, ratings of perceived exertion were obtained immediately after the Wingate test. RESULTS: Oral temperature was higher after the 15-min warm-up than the 5-min warm-up throughout the study. Moreover, peak power and mean power were higher after the 15-min warm-up than the 5-min warm-up before Ramadan. However, during Ramadan, there was no significant difference between the two warm-up durations. In addition, ratings of perceived exertion were higher after the 15-min warm-up than the 5-min warm-up only during Ramadan. CONCLUSIONS: There is no need to prolong the warm-up period before short-term maximal exercise performed during Ramadan in the morning.