Pre-Exercise Strategies: Effect of Yoga Poses on Various Intensities of Eccentric Exercise-Induced Pain and Functional Limitations

Background. Unaccustomed exercise can cause muscle damage, pain, and delayed onset of muscle soreness (DOMS) that may lead to temporary functional impairments. Performing yoga poses have many health benefits like it, increases flexibility, reduces anxiety and stress, and pain relief. The present study aimed to measure the effects of yoga poses performed before the various intensities of elbow and knee eccentric contraction (ECC) exercise protocol with a full (FROM) and partial range of motion (PROM). Methods. Thirty participants aged between 18 and 30 years performed yoga before ECC protocols (weeks 3, 5, 7, 9) and ECC protocols without yoga poses (weeks 2, 4, 6, 8) on elbow and knee muscles (5 x 10 repetitions each session) using their 25%/35% of maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC). The subjective and objective assessments were carried out (activities of daily living (ADL), pain (visual analog scale (VAS), pain pressure threshold (PPT)), and MVIC. Results. The ECC exercise with FROM without yoga showed moderate pain (0-35) in ADL, VAS, and PPT for elbow extensors and knee flexors and showed a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) compared to PROM without yoga ECC exercise protocol. ECC exercise performed with FROM without yoga induced a higher degree of DOMS, pain, AM, limitations than PROM without yoga. Yoga before PROM ECC protocol showed less pain. DOMS in ADL (pulling a heavy), VAS, and PPT for elbow flexors and knee extensors. The overall percentage of increased MVIC value at the end of the study was between 32.60 and 45.02%. Conclusions. Upper extremity (extensors) muscles are more prone for DOMS and pain when compared to lower extremity muscles. Yoga stretching poses before eccentric exercise protocol may have an effect in reducing DOMS and pain.