Introduction:

Clinical evidence-based medicine has found increasing benefits of yoga.

Objective:

To describe the effects on lung function assessed by rest spirometry -vital forced capacity (VFC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), and FEV1/VFC ratio- in a group of apparently healthy adults, as well as to explore the effects of pranayama techniques in lactate kinetics.

Materials and methods:

Quasi-experimental study performed in sedentary adults with no prior experience in yoga practice, who received a stimulus during 12 weeks with a minimum frequency of two sessions per week. They were divided into a yoga group (YG) and a control group (CG). Body composition, blood pressure, heart rate, double product (DP), peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2), blood lactate (Lacts), hematocrit (Htc) by micromethod, and spirometry were determined before and after a training plan with Pranayama. The variables analyzed were forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and FEV1/ FVC ratio.

Results:

Significant differences were found in FVC, FEV1 and lactate among YG and CG (p<0.05), and before and after the stimulus in the YG (p<0.05). The double product improved in both groups.

Conclusions:

Targeted practice ofpranayama for 12 weeks improved FVC, FEV1, double product (p <0.05) and lactate production capacity (anaerobic capacity).

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