Yoga vs. Static Stretching: Recovery Impact on Male Athletes' Post-HIIT Heart Rate, Respiratory Rate, Blood Pressure, and Heart Rate Variability Analysis
Question
Does yoga improve acute post-HIIT recovery markers more than static stretching in male athletes?
Summary
In 20 young male athletes, a 15-minute yoga recovery session after treadmill HIIT reduced respiratory rate and improved HRV recovery more than 15 minutes of static stretching. Heart-rate and blood-pressure recovery did not show significant intervention-by-time differences.
Methodology
- Young male football club athletes.
- 20 participants.
- Treadmill HIIT followed by yoga.
- Work intervals: 1 min running.
- Recovery: 1 min walking during HIIT; yoga recovery after session.
- Intensity: 85% HRmax work, 50% HRmax walking recovery.
- About 44 min including recovery.
- Acute crossover trial.
- Single trial per recovery method.
- Crossover acute recovery study
- Heart-rate variability, Respiratory rate, and Blood pressure were tracked.
Outcomes
Respiratory rate
Yoga produced lower respiratory rate than stretching at 5, 10, and 15 min recovery.
Time by intervention F(5,190)=8.825, p<0.001.
HRV
Yoga improved SDNN more than stretching at 5 and 10 min recovery.
Time by intervention F(5,190)=3.751, p=0.003.
HR/BP
Heart rate and systolic/diastolic blood pressure did not show significant intervention-by-time interactions.
HR p=0.797; SBP p=0.635; DBP p=0.352.
Insights
- A short structured yoga cooldown may improve acute parasympathetic recovery markers after HIIT.
- The evidence is about acute physiology, not long-term performance or injury outcomes.
Limitations
- Small male athlete sample
- Acute-only design
- Surrogate recovery outcomes
- No passive or walking active control
- Potential effects of yoga unfamiliarity and stretching familiarity
Safety
- No adverse events or injuries were reported.
- PAR-Q and musculoskeletal/neurologic exclusions were used.