Hot yoga claims may be rather overcooked
ONE of the most popular forms of yoga, requiring participants to pull agonising poses in 40C heat, is no better for you than traditional yoga, a study has found.
In the first investigation of its kind, scientists established that Bikram hot yoga, which has a devoted worldwide following since its inception in the Seventies, did nothing extra to prevent heart disease or stroke.
The practice has been taken up by tennis star Andy Murray as well as actresses such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Jennifer Aniston.
Centres have sprung up across the UK and practitioners have reported becoming addicted to performing the 26 postures in extreme heat.
The aim is to work every muscle, ligament, tendon and joint progressively and systematically, moving fresh oxygenated blood to every part of the body.
Researchers at the University of Texas compared 40 traditional yoga participants with those undertaking hot Bikram over 12 weeks. The research, published in the journal Experimental Physiology, showed that Bikram yoga could reduce changes in the lining of blood vessels involved in the development and progression of heart disease.
It also found that it could possibly delay the progression of atherosclerosis, a disease in which plaque builds up in arteries and can cause heart attack or stroke.
However, it found that it was not necessary for the yoga to be performed at a high temperature, with the effects also being seen at room temperature.
Stacy D Hunter, a leading yoga authority, said: “The new finding was that the heated environment did not seem to play a role in eliciting improvements in vascular health with Bikram yoga.
“This is the first publication to date to show a beneficial effect of the practice in the absence of the heat.”
The findings follow a downturn in the fortunes of Bikram Choudhury Yoga Inc, which filed for bankruptcy in the US last November after sexual harassment claims against its founder.
Bikram Choudhury, 73, is wanted in the US after a judge issued an arrest warrant in order to satisfy a $6.8 million (£4.9 million) award made to Choudhury’s former lawyer, who accused him of sexual harassment, which he denied.