Document Type : original article
Authors
1
Department of Physical Education and Sports Science, Humanity Faculty, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran
2
Associate Professor of Exercise Physiology, Department of Sport Sciences, Faculty of Humanities, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran.
3
Sport Science Department, Human Faculty, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran
10.48308/joeppa.2024.235240.1233
Abstract
Background and purpose: Multiple sclerosis is the most common autoimmune inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system that affects the myelinated axons of the central nervous system and causes neurological deterioration. The prevalence of this disease in women is reported to be 3 times that of men. In recent years, more people with the disease have sought alternative drug therapies to manage symptoms, including mind-body therapies such as yoga, meditation, breathing, and relaxation techniques. The present study was conducted with the aim of investigating the effect of eight weeks of yoga training on the serum levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin 6 and interleukin 10 and body composition in women with multiple sclerosis.
Materials and methods: In this semi-experimental study, the number of 20 women with multiple sclerosis referred to the medical centers of Semnan city (mean age 36.75±6.10 years and body mass index 26.88±6.02 kg/m2) and with EDSS index >3.5 were selected and randomly divided into two groups: yoga training (n=10) and control (n=10). The experimental group trained yoga for eight weeks and three sessions per week (24 sessions) in an indoor hall with a temperature of 25-26 degrees Celsius. The number of movements in the training session was 15 movements in two 10-second shifts, and every two weeks, 5 seconds were added for each training movement and a new movement was added to the training protocol according to the principle of overload, which reached 18 movements and 15 seconds at the end of eight weeks. During these eight weeks, the control group had no regular physical activity and only engaged in daily activities. In order to control the training pressure, the RPE scale was used based on the Borg scale. Statistical analysis of the data was done through analysis of variance with repeated measurements and independent t-test and dependent t-test at a significance level of p≤0.05.
Results: The results of this study showed a significant decrease in the serum levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin 6 and interleukin 10 in the experimental group compared to the control group after eight weeks of training (P=0.001); However, no significant difference was observed in the body composition of women with multiple sclerosis compared to the control group after eight weeks of yoga (P≥0.05).
Conclusion: Finally, the results of this research showed that eight weeks of yoga training by reducing inflammatory cytokines and adjusting the serum index of tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin 6, can be used as a complementary treatment along with drug treatments for the treatment of multiple sclerosis patients.
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