Mapping Cardiorespiratory and Metabolic Demands across Fast and Slow Surya Namaskar Sequences

Surya Namaskar (SN) is a popular yogic practice consisting of a sequence of 12 postures. The rationale of this sequence is, however, not fully known. Limited studies have investigated the posture-wise physiological changes across the SN sequence considering varying paces.

This study aims to quantify the posture-to-posture cardiorespiratory and metabolic responses during fast SN (FSN) and slow SN (SSN) and describe the dynamics of change in physiological parameters across the sequence through a regression model.

In this self-as-control comparative study, twenty healthy males (age: 25.44 ± 5.02 years) were selected and randomly assigned to perform FSN and SSN. Cardiometabolic parameters were continuously recorded using a Polar H10 heart rate monitor and metabolic gas analyzer.

Within-condition dynamics showed SSN elicited significantly lower heart rate (HR) (P < 0.01), oxygen consumption (VO₂) (P < 0.001), minute ventilation (VE) (P < 0.01), reduced Fat% utilization (P < 0.01), and a higher respiratory quotient (RQ) (P < 0.001) in most of the postures than FSN. HR was found stable with the changes in SN pace, whereas other cardiometabolic parameters exhibited greater variability. The regression model demonstrated that the change in postures plays a major role in modulating VO₂ and VE responses, whereas HR, RQ, and Fat% dynamics showed lesser sensitivity with posture change.

Posture-by-posture dynamics of acute cardiometabolic responses revealed distinct physiological rhythms, which could be a potential pointer to further investigations on the rationale of the sequence. Yoga practitioners and instructors can judiciously use the results to tailor SN sessions to achieve specific goals and preferences.