The Impact Of Yoga And Power Training On Muscle Structure In Persons With Parkinson's Disease

Yoga is a gentle form of exercise easily adaptable for persons with Parkinson’s Disease (PD). Power-based resistance training has been shown to improve functional performance in people with PD. To our knowledge, no study has examined the effects of yoga and power training on muscle thickness (MT), muscle quality (MQ), and muscle stiffness (MS) in individuals with PD. PURPOSE: This study assessed changes in MT, MQ, and MS in the Tibialis Anterior (TA), Medial Gastrocnemius (MG), and Lateral Gastrocnemius (LG) of both legs in PD patients following 8-weeks of yoga or power training. METHODS: Repeated measures were conducted for MT, MQ, and MS in fifteen PD patients (8 yoga, 7 power) (69.9 ± 9.3 y; H&Y Scale: 1.8 ± 0.86) before and after 8-weeks of either yoga or power training twice per week for 1-h. Imaging was performed using a LOGIQ Ultrasound System with a 3-12 MHz linear transducer probe (GE Healthcare, Buckinghamshire, UK). Yoga consisted of 4 parts: a warm-up, yoga flows (poses), balance, and cool-down. Power training involved ten exercises on HUR pneumatic machines consisting of 3 sets of 10 repetitions. ImageJ software was used to analyze images to determine MT and MQ, and MS was measured using shear wave elastography in m/s via integrated software. RESULTS: Significant main effects for time were seen for MQ for the left TA (p = .035), and left MG (p < .001). Pairwise comparisons quantified the improvements in MQ for the left TA (Mdiff = -6.21 ± 2.64; -11.92, -0.50; p = .003) and the left MG (Mdiff = -12.11 ± 2.44; -17.37, -6.84; p < .001). A significant interaction was seen for the right LG (p = .048); however, both groups showed significant improvements (Yoga: Mdiff = -6.34 ± 2.25; -11.21, -1.48; p = .015; Power: Mdiff = -13.55 ± 2.41; -18.75, -8.35; p < .001). No significant differences were observed in MT in either condition. A significant group x time interaction was observed for MS in the right MG (p = .002). Pairwise comparisons revealed a significant decrease in stiffness in the yoga group (Mdiff = -.472 ± .130 m·s-1; p = .003). No changes in MS were detected for any other muscle. CONCLUSION: Results indicate that yoga or power training may be beneficial in improving muscle morphological changes, as indicated by improvements in MQ and stiffness.