Von der Matte zum Modell - Stress, Entzündung, und Yoga

Chronic stress is a pervasive issue in our society, being a significant contributor to numerous physical and mental health issues, like cardiac disease, immune dysfunction, depression, and anxiety (Terehov & Yakovlev, 2023). It stems from a persistent inability to adapt to stressors due to an imbalance between stressors and coping factors, leading to allostatic load (McEwen, 2004), which, over time, can result in maladaptive outcomes through the persistent alteration of regulatory systems. One of the central mediators connecting stress with disease is systemic low-grade inflammation (Rohleder, 2014). Yoga is increasingly recognized as a promising way to combat chronic stress and inflammation due to its holistic approach integrating physical postures, breathing exercises, and meditation (Gard et al., 2014). Despite its growing popularity, research on yoga's effectiveness in reducing stress and inflammation is still in its infancy. The proposed project therefore investigates the effectiveness of a low-risk and economically feasible yoga intervention to decrease stress and inflammation together with related suffering. Using an innovative structural equation modelling (SEM) approach, we aim to look at the relationship between three major stress systems: the endocrine system, the autonomic nervous system, and the immune system. We further intend to systematically investigate if and to what extent active vs. passive yoga styles influence this relationship, as well as its underlying components, in chronically stressed individuals. With the help of an exercise and a waitlisted control group, we also aim to find out if the active yoga intervention exerts its potential effects in a manner distinct from exercise, or if the effects can largely be attributed to physical activity, and if these potential effects are transient or rather sustained. Finally, we will also exploratorily investigate whether sex and gender influence these relationships. We will do so using ecological momentary assessment (EMA; Trull & Ebner-Priemer, 2013) as a unique approach, allowing us to assess both self-reported and biological data multiple times a day, minimize recall bias, and account for daily fluctuations. We intend to conduct a Randomized Controlled Trial with 210 participants in a parallel four-arm design using experience sampling of biological and self-reported data, and a 12-week follow-up. Reducing excessive stress reactivity is essential for maintaining health and preventing disease. To this end, we plan to employ an experimental stress induction paradigm to rigorously assess whether consistent yoga practice, in relation to exercise, leads to sustained improvements in stress reactivity following acute stress exposure. Additionally, we aim to determine whether there are discernible differences in the impact of dynamic versus restorative yoga styles on these outcomes.