10 benefits of yoga for athletes (according to science)

The yoga It is a millenary physical and mental practice that has spread throughout the world thanks to its benefits and because it guarantees the balance between body and mind. For several decades it has gained popularity in the West, and "yogamania" has boomed in recent years because it responds to different problems of our time, including sedentary lifestyle or stress.

For many, it is not only a form of physical exercise, but it is a lifestyle that allows find inner peace and that commits to observing healthy habits and eating adequate. Yoga attracts, and that is why more and more people practice it. This is because it manages to integrate breathing with movement so that the mind and body stop being two autonomous entities and become one. Yoga allows you to reconnect with yourself, something that is difficult today.

Anyone can learn and practice this discipline which is also suitable for many athletes, since it provides an improvement in physical condition, a greater control of breathing and relaxation, an increase in flexibility, as well as an ideal mental attitude that favors the state of flow and increases sports performance. Athletes who practice it acquire knowledge about the connection between their mind and their body, improve mental clarity and concentration, and are more prepared for the challenges they face. face.

Yoga in the West: on the way to modern yoga

Etymologically "yoga" means union, and the objective of this discipline is the fusion of the individual soul with the universal spirit. It originated in India thousands of years ago (approximately 3,000 years BC. C.), but contemporary yoga did not begin until a little over a century ago, when it was introduced in the West by English soldiers and officials who were in the Asian country and by numerous teachers who came to the West thus establishing the beginning of the different schools that are known in the present.

Yoga is made up of Asanas (postures), Pranayama (breathing), Savasana (relaxation), Dhyana (meditation), Kriyas (cleaning), Mudras (gestures to channel energy), Kirtan (songs) and Mantras (phrases). Throughout history, different types of yoga have emerged, since its practice has been adapted to different cultures. We can find Buddhist, Hindu, Chinese, Tibetan yoga, etc; and through the discoveries made by yogis, different traditional yoga systems have emerged (Astanga Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Kundalini Yoga, Mantra Yoga, etc.).

In the West, "Hatha yoga" is the most popular, and although it is usually taught as a physical practice because of its asanas (postures), its practice involves a holistic experience that also takes into account aspects such as breathing or meditation. Today, western culture has influenced new forms of modern yoga such as the Power Yoga, originated in the United States in the 1990s. In this way, the religious component has been left behind to give more weight to the physical aspect.

The practice of yoga for athletes

For one year, yoga has become part of gyms and sports centers in many localities. Its benefits applied to both health and sports performance are increasingly engaging athletes, both elite and those who train to improve their overall well-being or condition physical.

Mastering the physical and mental challenges that yoga demands may be a discovery for many athletes accustomed to during years to a different concept of training, because this practice is based on the principle of integrating the body as a everything. This new holistic approach can reveal weaknesses and imbalances that have never been exposed before, and integrates the physical and mental element that is so important during competition or training in the sport.

More and more athletes are discovering the different ways in which yoga can be used to improve psychological and physical performance and, consequently, the sports performance. From increasing mental focus, improving flexibility and balance, preventing injuries or perfecting skills. technical skills, many athletes have already benefited from this ancient discipline, including the basketball Lebron James, the tennis player Maria Sharapova or the footballer Ryan giggs. The latter retired as a professional athlete at the age of 40, played 23 seasons in the Premier League and played 963 games with the Manchester United. Yoga may have been her big secret.

Reasons why an athlete should practice yoga

But what reasons can lead an athlete to want to add yoga to their training plan? What are the benefits of yoga that contribute to the improvement in sports results? Considering the information provided by the different investigations in this regard, yoga improves athletic performance for the following reasons.

1. Increased flexibility

When talking about yoga, the first thing that comes to mind is its asanas (postures). Therefore, it is not difficult to associate its practice with the improvement of flexibility. Asanas help us increase the ability to move muscles and joints through their full range.

There are many studies that have shown its usefulness for increasing flexibility. For example, a study from the University Center Doncaster (UK) showed that a weekly session of yoga for 6 weeks was enough to notice improvements in this basic quality of the condition physical. Sarah Ramsden, Manchester United and Manchester City Yoga Instructor explains: “Be flexible and have good movement patterns helps to have greater speed, power, sharpness of movement and greater Recovery". All of them aspects that improve the performance of athletes.

2. Reduce stress

It is not surprising that with the pace of life of today's society, many people suffer stress, which in turn can cause psychological health problems such as depression, anxiety, mental exhaustion or hostility, which seriously impairs the level of activation of athletes, relevant cognitive processes and sports performance.

In addition, the very threatening characteristics of the competition or the environment of the athletes, also cause stress to be a fairly frequent response in the life of an athlete, as stated by José María Buceta, professor and director of the Master's Degree in Sports Psychology at the National University of Distance Education (UNED).

A study carried out jointly by scientists from the Thomas Jefferson Medical College of Philadelphia and from Yoga Research Society showed that daily yoga practice lowers levels of cortisol, a hormone released in response to stress. A twenty-minute session a day is enough to notice a significant reduction in stress levels, according to research from Ohio State University in the United States.

3. Increase strength

Following a routine with different asanas on a regular basis increases muscle tone and strength. Yoga postures are held for long periods of time, which causes isometric contractions of the muscles, generating a gain in strength.

A study published in the International Journal of Physical Education, Sports and Health showed that Asanas strengthen the arms, shoulders, legs, back, buttocks and abdomen.

The same study concludes that yoga increases the strength of underused muscles in different sports disciplines such as swimming, cycling or exercise. running. These gains improve body stability and prevent injuries, because yoga works the strengthening the muscle fibers that support and surround the muscles most used in these sports. This means that a more balanced and optimally functional overall force is produced.

4. Helps in recovery

For optimal athletic performance, training is as important as recovery. To avoid overtraining and to continue performing at an adequate level, it is necessary for athletes to understand that recovery periods after physical activity are essential, Yoga is a form of active rest, which means that, with its practice, the organism uses biological mechanisms and metabolic and cellular processes of tissue repair and the generation of molecules, such as enzymes, that allow to continue to perform at a good level.

According to an investigation published in the International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Development, yogic breathing helps to circulate and detoxify lymph, a fluid that runs through the lymphatic system. This accelerates recovery after physical exercise by 15% and eliminates fatigue.

5. Better balance and coordination

Yoga is different from other exercises in that it generates movement without causing tension or imbalances in the body. Therefore, its practice is an ideal complement to different forms of physical exercise and an advantage in any sport. A study carried out by Dawn Boehde and John Porcaridel for the Human Performance Laboratory of the University of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (United States) showed that coordination and balance improve with yoga because the different postures are combined with breathing and movement ..

Now, how does this affect athletic performance? Better balance and coordination means better control of body movement, which manifests itself in more efficient technique.

6. Improve sleep

"The practice of yoga increases serotonin levels so it helps you sleep better" explains Dr. Murali Doraiswam, author of a Duke University study that included a review of more than 100 research papers on the yoga. The serotonin (5-HT) is a neurotransmitter that, in addition to regulating mood or appetite, increases the production of melatonin, a hormone that participates in sleep cycles. To get a peaceful rest, likewise, serotonin is involved in controlling stress and body temperature.

For this reason, a study by the University of Barcelona and the University of the Balearic Islands published in the Journal of Sports Psychology She advises that athletes carry out a control of the quality of sleep, due to the importance of their restorative characteristics and their positive relationship with athletic performance, training and fitness competition. Dr. Cheri Mah of Stanford University showed in an experiment that basketball players who improve their sleep habits increase their shooting effectiveness by 9%.

7. Improves mood

There are performance facilitating moods, and generating positive attitudes and emotions is a key element in the proper sporting performance of each person. Serotonin (5-HT) not only has a positive effect on sleep, but is also involved in regulating mood. In fact, low levels of this neurotransmitter are associated with depressive behaviors.

An investigation by Cabral, Meyer and Ames, published in The Primary Care Companion CNS Disorders, concluded that practicing yoga on a regular basis produces significant improvements in patients with depression and anxiety in a similar way to physical exercise. Also, another research, this time published in The Journal of Complementary Medicine, found that there is an increase in another neurotransmitter in yoga practitioners: GABA. The benefits of GABA are numerous, since it participates in the improvement of mood, the ability to concentrate, promotes relaxation and helps control stress.

Since negative moods can be detrimental to sports performance (for example, making concentration difficult) it is necessary to control these psychological variables to maintain an optimal level of performance.

8. Helps prevent injuries

Many sports like cycling and running They are characterized by very repetitive movements over a long period of time, which causes certain muscle groups to develop while ignoring others. Imbalances in the muscles and joints can lead to injury.

As shown by a study carried out by Teodora Dominteanu, professor in the Department of Physical Education and Sports at the Academy of Economic Studies of Bucharest, like cyclists and runners, tennis players, with whom he carried out his investigation, they experience a tremendous amount of blows, shortening and hardening their muscles. When these muscles are not restored, lengthened and stretched, imbalances and injuries occur more frequently.

Many yoga postures, such as "Downward Facing Dog" (Adho Mukha Svanasana), mobilize and extend the back, shoulders, triceps, glutes, hamstrings, rectus anterior, and calves, strengthening muscles and providing flexibility to the Body. This posture is highly recommended to prevent ankle injuries, so it is especially recommended for runners or triathletes. In addition, it helps prevent elbow and wrist injuries in sports such as tennis.

To preserve athletes from possible muscle injury, research published in the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research states that a good level of flexibility needs to be achieved. In this way, a reserve joint and muscular range is achieved, in case some unexpected or unusual gesture is superior to the gestures of work mobility.

9. Improves concentration

Concentration is the ability to keep your attention focused on an object or on the task that is being carried out without distractions, and it is key to achieving sporting success. In yoga, concentration is worked primarily through Tratak (Fix the look), Nasagra-drishti (nasal contemplation), Brahmadya-drishti (frontal contemplation).

According to the results of a study from the University of Illinois **, the subjects who participated in the research and who practicing yoga, they had more attention span and processed information more quickly ** and with greater precision. They also learned, maintained, and updated information in less time.

10. Improves stamina

Although athletic performance is multifactorial, it is clear that endurance plays an important role in sport. According to science, yoga improves both aerobic and anaerobic endurance. A study by Aslan and Livanelioglu concluded that a group of subjects who trained four times a day for six weeks improved by 9.8% on the Cooper test, a test that measures aerobic capacity.

It seems that, although yoga is not an aerobic exercise, yogic breathing (pranayama) increases the capacity of the lungs by improve the flexibility of the rib cage and allow the lungs to fully expand, as explained in a study published in the Yoga Journal. On the other hand, an investigation by Cowen and Adams, which evaluated the relationship between yoga and anaerobic endurance, showed that both the ashtanga yoga As the hatha yoga cause an improvement in this type of resistance.