*Any* type of scientific evidence about bikram yoga?

brownvs
brownvs Posts: 40 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I've taken 4 Bikram yoga classes so far - and they seem kind of enjoyable (I have good instructors).

However, I'm really struggling to find any scientific evidence specifically about bikram yoga - is there anything to support the claims of improved circulation vs other yoga? higher calorie burns vs other yoga? Increased flexibility above and beyond regular yoga due to the heat?

I'm not picky - I'm looking for ANY sort of scientific paper showing that bikram benefits the body (or even, *doesn't* benefit the body for all I care) would be appreciated.

I'm sure we are all good speculators here - I'm looking for evidence.

Replies

  • iWillGetCrowSomeday
    iWillGetCrowSomeday Posts: 311 Member
    I searched through CINAHL and could only find one study which pertained only to Bikram, and it followed participants for a short term period of 8 weeks. The researchers found that in the yoga group, compared to the control group that performed no yoga, there was an overall increase in muscle strength (except in grip strength), range of motion and flexibility, and a decrease in body fat. There were no significant positive changes to cardiovascular health in the yoga group that the control group did not also experience.

    Calorie burn is highly individualized and is related to heart rate (which correlates to exertion). So it's really dependent upon how much work the practitioner does and what their fitness level is.

    I did not see anything regarding flexibility compared to other forms of yoga - I could only speculate on that, and I won't :wink:

    (DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e31825c340f)
  • brownvs
    brownvs Posts: 40 Member
    Thank you - I actually saw that study too :-p I appreciate your thoughtful response very much.

    Oh well...Bikram doesn't seem to be making me worse, so onward and upward (?) (until I have a heat stroke or something horrid :-p )
    I searched through CINAHL and could only find one study which pertained only to Bikram, and it followed participants for a short term period of 8 weeks. The researchers found that in the yoga group, compared to the control group that performed no yoga, there was an overall increase in muscle strength (except in grip strength), range of motion and flexibility, and a decrease in body fat. There were no significant positive changes to cardiovascular health in the yoga group that the control group did not also experience.

    Calorie burn is highly individualized and is related to heart rate (which correlates to exertion). So it's really dependent upon how much work the practitioner does and what their fitness level is.

    I did not see anything regarding flexibility compared to other forms of yoga - I could only speculate on that, and I won't :wink:

    (DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e31825c340f)
  • iWillGetCrowSomeday
    iWillGetCrowSomeday Posts: 311 Member
    "Oh well?" It's not a total wash- You get the benefits of increased muscle strength and decreased body fat from practicing Bikram! It certainly isn't doing you any harm, as long as you hydrate before and after, and replace electrolytes after :happy: I love my power vinyasa class. I definitely get a full body workout in it, and I like sweating it all out lol. (Here comes some speculation) I also believe my yoga practice has helped with my running, between strengthening stabilizer muscles, forcing me to concentrate on my breathing, and making me aware of how I move and carry my body when I run.
  • dayone987
    dayone987 Posts: 645 Member
    "Oh well?" It's not a total wash- You get the benefits of increased muscle strength and decreased body fat from practicing Bikram! It certainly isn't doing you any harm, as long as you hydrate before and after, and replace electrolytes after :happy: I love my power vinyasa class. I definitely get a full body workout in it, and I like sweating it all out lol. (Here comes some speculation) I also believe my yoga practice has helped with my running, between strengthening stabilizer muscles, forcing me to concentrate on my breathing, and making me aware of how I move and carry my body when I run.

    I think you misread. The study compared birkam against no yoga. The OP was looking for comparison between different types of yoga.
  • iWillGetCrowSomeday
    iWillGetCrowSomeday Posts: 311 Member
    "Oh well?" It's not a total wash- You get the benefits of increased muscle strength and decreased body fat from practicing Bikram! It certainly isn't doing you any harm, as long as you hydrate before and after, and replace electrolytes after :happy: I love my power vinyasa class. I definitely get a full body workout in it, and I like sweating it all out lol. (Here comes some speculation) I also believe my yoga practice has helped with my running, between strengthening stabilizer muscles, forcing me to concentrate on my breathing, and making me aware of how I move and carry my body when I run.

    I think you misread. The study compared birkam against no yoga. The OP was looking for comparison between different types of yoga.

    I didn't misread- I mentioned in my first post that the control group did not practice. I also stated that I could only find one article discussing her concern - the very same article she had read. It was a limited study, but the only one I found through CINAHL.

    In my second post (the one you quoted) I'm talking strictly about practicing Bikram - not comparing it to anything else. In practicing Bikram, you build and strengthen muscles, decrease body fat, and increase flexibility and ROM, statements which are backed up by other studies in addition to the one I provided the DOI for.
  • phjorg1
    phjorg1 Posts: 642 Member
    calorie burn is bunk. What burns more calories is working harder. Temperature has no bearing on calories.
  • brownvs
    brownvs Posts: 40 Member
    Oh - just to clarify I didn't mean I was going to stop practicing it if there weren't good studies; just that the instructors make claims with varying degrees of plausibility about how Bikram is good for your body (some I'd believe, others maybe not). I have no health problems, so 105 degree heat is not a problem for me, but I know I've had patients for whom that would not be true.
    calorie burn is bunk. What burns more calories is working harder. Temperature has no bearing on calories.

    See, I have mixed feelings on this point. I could *imagine* how maintaining the thermoregulation of your body would require the enzymes in your body to work harder to produce sweat - enzymes use ATP - ATP comes from food as fuel. Simply put, it takes energy to stay warm in the winter, I imagine it takes energy to stay cold when it's a billion degrees :-p

    But again, that's why I'm trying to avoid speculation because participants in bikram are going to be losing tons of water weight, so I'm not sure how they would control for that.

    OK, we could open it up to speculation, then. ;-)
  • iWillGetCrowSomeday
    iWillGetCrowSomeday Posts: 311 Member

    See, I have mixed feelings on this point. I could *imagine* how maintaining the thermoregulation of your body would require the enzymes in your body to work harder to produce sweat - enzymes use ATP - ATP comes from food as fuel. Simply put, it takes energy to stay warm in the winter, I imagine it takes energy to stay cold when it's a billion degrees :-p

    That would also be my speculation! Because your body is working hard to cool your body temperature, it would increase the metabolic needs of body tissues, resulting in increased HR.

    Also, I didn't think you were one of the people who should be avoiding Bikram- it was more of a PSA for anyone considering starting :wink:
  • brownvs
    brownvs Posts: 40 Member

    See, I have mixed feelings on this point. I could *imagine* how maintaining the thermoregulation of your body would require the enzymes in your body to work harder to produce sweat - enzymes use ATP - ATP comes from food as fuel. Simply put, it takes energy to stay warm in the winter, I imagine it takes energy to stay cold when it's a billion degrees :-p

    That would also be my speculation! Because your body is working hard to cool your body temperature, it would increase the metabolic needs of body tissues, resulting in increased HR.

    Also, I didn't think you were one of the people who should be avoiding Bikram- it was more of a PSA for anyone considering starting :wink:

    Yeah, I completely agree with you on that last point. The instructors act like "just anyone can do this" and I have to say I'd have pretty serious worries for people with, for example, late stage heart failure or renal disease. And it's more common than people think to have those conditions.

    But I mean, for now, it serves a role in my routine of exercise, so I will probably continue to do it periodically.
  • iWillGetCrowSomeday
    iWillGetCrowSomeday Posts: 311 Member

    See, I have mixed feelings on this point. I could *imagine* how maintaining the thermoregulation of your body would require the enzymes in your body to work harder to produce sweat - enzymes use ATP - ATP comes from food as fuel. Simply put, it takes energy to stay warm in the winter, I imagine it takes energy to stay cold when it's a billion degrees :-p

    That would also be my speculation! Because your body is working hard to cool your body temperature, it would increase the metabolic needs of body tissues, resulting in increased HR.

    Also, I didn't think you were one of the people who should be avoiding Bikram- it was more of a PSA for anyone considering starting :wink:

    Yeah, I completely agree with you on that last point. The instructors act like "just anyone can do this" and I have to say I'd have pretty serious worries for people with, for example, late stage heart failure or renal disease. And it's more common than people think to have those conditions.

    But I mean, for now, it serves a role in my routine of exercise, so I will probably continue to do it periodically.

    Definitely. I love my hot yoga. But just like any exercise regimen, someone who hasn't exercised in a long time or who hasn't had a physical in over a year should get approval from their GP. I do think studios could do a lot more to teach their yogis about proper hydration, HR, and how to recognize when you should stop and see a doctor.

Categories