Impact of pranayama on stress scores and cardiorespiratory fitness among first-year MBBS students
Smriti Srivastava, Sudhanshu Kacker, Neha SabooABSTRACT
Introduction:
Stress is the body’s response to situations perceived as challenging or threatening. Medical students frequently experience high levels of stress, which can adversely affect their academic performance, physical health, and mental well-being. In addition, a sedentary lifestyle may negatively influence physical fitness. Cardiorespiratory fitness, commonly assessed by maximal oxygen uptake (VO 2 max), is an important indicator of overall health. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of pranayama on stress scores and cardiorespiratory fitness among first-year MBBS students.
Methods:
After obtaining Institutional Ethics Committee approval, a longitudinal observational study was conducted among 150 first-year MBBS students. Participants practiced pranayama regularly, and assessments were performed at baseline, three months, and six months. Cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed by measuring VO
2
max using the direct method with a gas analyzer. Stress levels were evaluated using the Medical Student Stressor Questionnaire (MSSQ). Statistical significance was considered at
Results:
Significant reductions were observed in the mean MSSQ scores across all six stress domains, including academic-related, social-related, teaching and learning-related, drive and desire-related, interpersonal and intrapersonal, and group activities-related stressors (GARS) following six months of pranayama practice (
Conclusion:
Regular pranayama practice was associated with a significant reduction in stress levels and an improvement in cardiorespiratory fitness among first-year MBBS students. These findings suggest that pranayama may serve as an effective, low-cost strategy for promoting psychological well-being and improving cardiovascular fitness in medical students.