T H E H O T R E A L I T Y O F H O T Y O G A
C H A P T E R 4 T H E M E D I C I N E O F H O T Y O G A V S . T H E T O X I C I T Y O F B I G P H A R M A 5 1
T H E H O T R E A L I T Y O F H O T Y O G A
Insomnia (habitual sleeplessness, the inability to sleep) is the most commonly reported
sleep problem in the industrialized world with an estimated 50 to 70 million Americans
being affected by either intermittent or chronic sleep problems. This figure represents
approximately 20 percent of the population. Serotonin is the hormone secreted by the
34
pineal gland recognized by its small pinecone shape located deep in the center of the brain.
One of the many roles serotonin plays is in the regulation of the sleep/wake cycle by
synthesizing melatonin produced at night, fundamental to managing the body’s biological
clock. Chronic insomnia can have a negative impact on your health, consequently
increasing your risk of depression and high blood pressure. Your quality of life suffers as a
result. Common symptoms of insomnia include the following :
35
Fatigue
Anxiety
Inability to concentrate
Poor Memory
Low motivation or energy
Daytime drowsiness
Mood disruption
C H A P T E R 4 T H E M E D I C I N E O F H O T Y O G A V S . T H E T O X I C I T Y O F B I G P H A R M A 5 2
T H E H O T R E A L I T Y O F H O T Y O G A
Fortunately, the hot yoga practice has been reported to help relieve practitioners from the
chronic exhaustion of insomnia. It achieves this by quieting the distractions of the mind and
environment while reducing arousal. Plus, the added benefit of relaxing and all-
encompassing heat serves as the right ingredient to help reduce the effects of our over-
active thoughts by focusing our attention on your poses and the present moment. This state
is associated with the now trendy term called “mindfulness”. Achieving this state also
increases the prospect of achieving a better nights rest, ultimately eliminating insomnia.
C H A P T E R 4 T H E M E D I C I N E O F H O T Y O G A V S . T H E T O X I C I T Y O F B I G P H A R M A 5 3
T H E H O T R E A L I T Y O F H O T Y O G A
According to the American Psychological Association (APA) and the National Institute of
Health (NIH), depression affects approximately 14.8 million American adults, which is
approximately 6.7% of the U.S. population of adults 18 years old and up. While there are
36
effective treatments, these treatments are far too few. Sarah Shallit MA, of Alliant
University in San Francisco, investigated Bikram yoga in 52 women, age 25-45. More than
half were assigned to participate in twice-weekly classes for eight weeks. The rest were
told they were wait-listed and used as a control condition. All participants were tested for
depression levels at the beginning of the study, as well as at weeks three, six and nine.
Sarah Shallit and her co-author Lindsey Hopkins, Ph.D. found that eight weeks of Bikram
yoga significantly reduced symptoms of depression compared with the control group.
37
Again, hot yoga has shown remarkable potential in treating types of depression. In a study
from Massachusetts General Hospital, 29 participants with depression took an eight-week
hot yoga course. At the end of the study period, their symptoms were reduced, and they
also showed improvement in variables like optimism, quality of life, and even cognitive
function.
38
These new studies add to a growing body of evidence suggesting that “integrative”
practices such as Bikram/hot yoga may offer a lot of benefits in treating mental health
disorders, as opposed to conventional drugs, depending on the severity of the depression.
Depression can take on many forms in individuals and at its worst state can be debilitating.
Some of the symptoms and feelings associated with serious depression are hopelessness,
despair, worthlessness and/or discouragement . This disturbing mental health issue is
39
responsible for nearly 40,000 suicides annually according to an October 9, 2014 USA Today
news report making it the nation's tenth leading cause of death. The World Health
40
Organization says that nearly 800,000 despondent people commit suicide every year
globally which is one person every 40 seconds. Sadly, it is reported that the numbers are
41
continually trending upward.
C H A P T E R 4 T H E M E D I C I N E O F H O T Y O G A V S . T H E T O X I C I T Y O F B I G P H A R M A 5 4
T H E H O T R E A L I T Y O F H O T Y O G A
However, yoga, in general, promotes calmness, stillness, and elevates moods and shows
promise in treating anxiety and depression. William J. Broad goes on to say in his book “The
Science of Yoga” “Current evidence seems to suggest that yoga can reduce despair and
hopelessness to the point of saving lives..” Irrespective of our thoughts on this statement,
there is no denying that hot yoga and the yoga practice in general does appear to provide
relief whether short term or long term to sufferers of this ever-growing problem.
C H A P T E R 4 T H E M E D I C I N E O F H O T Y O G A V S . T H E T O X I C I T Y O F B I G P H A R M A 5 5
T H E H O T R E A L I T Y O F H O T Y O G A
South Beach hot yoga studio owner and instructor at Glow, Raquel Pelayo says, “As
someone who has battled depression, I can honestly say that a consistent hot yoga practice
has helped me heal. I became hooked to the practice and never looked back.” This personal
testimony just further illustrates the value hot yoga can bring to our lives. Studies continue
to support the usefulness of this practice as a viable option towards the treatment of this
debilitating mental illness. Thereby, offering great promise for past, present, and future
sufferers of depression.
With this in mind, our immune system, respiratory system, gastrointestinal (GI) system,
and skin are designed to protect us from toxins. The human body is in a constant state of
detoxification, with or without our intervention. However, the detoxification that our body
continually undergoes can either be helped or hindered by our actions, emotions, mental
states and lifestyle habits.
C H A P T E R 4 T H E M E D I C I N E O F H O T Y O G A V S . T H E T O X I C I T Y O F B I G P H A R M A 5 6
T H E H O T R E A L I T Y O F H O T Y O G A
Most hot yoga practitioners experience a sensation which has been generally coined a yoga
buzz (the high or elated feeling upon completion of a focused pose/asana), to mirror
42
what most joggers experience as the equivalent of a “runner's high.” Why not experience
the high that nature organically intended for us?
As mentioned earlier, functional medicine as administered by MD’s, DO’s, RD’s and other
licensed health care professionals is proposed as a safer, healthier and more proactive and
effective integrative intervention model. This model being sought after more so to the more
traditional health care model in addressing chronic sicknesses and disease, and is gaining
greater mass appeal to the broader public. But why is that? Because unlike the traditional
model where the focus is elimination of the symptom(s) mainly by drugs, functional
medicine focuses on identifying the root cause, and eradicating the sickness or disease by
restoring the body’s balance.
C H A P T E R 4 T H E M E D I C I N E O F H O T Y O G A V S . T H E T O X I C I T Y O F B I G P H A R M A 5 7
T H E H O T R E A L I T Y O F H O T Y O G A
According to the “Institute for Functional Medicine” (IFM), considered the gold standard of
training in the field, “the functional medicine model is an individualized, patient-centered,
science–based approach that empowers patients and practitioners to work together to
address the underlying cause of disease, while promoting optimal wellness . Dr. Mark
43
Hyman, MD, who leads the Center of Functional Medicine for the Cleveland Clinic (CCCFM)
in Cleveland, Ohio and one of its pioneers, describes functional medicine as a clinical model
that doesn’t just treat disease that targets a specific pathway, but focuses on creating and
restoring the body’s balance. This helps the body at what it does best, heal. Thereby, this
addresses the “why” as opposed to just the “what” in chronic illnesses and disease. This
approach potentially has a much lasting positive outcome for any patient in my estimation.
C H A P T E R 4 T H E M E D I C I N E O F H O T Y O G A V S . T H E T O X I C I T Y O F B I G P H A R M A 5 8
T H E H O T R E A L I T Y O F H O T Y O G A
Aunna Herbst, DO ND (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine) who runs a private practice in
Tulsa, Oklahoma says that functional medical practitioners incorporate modalities
nutrigenomics, pathophysiology and biochemistry . Nutrigenomics is the interaction
44
between genes and nutrients/nutrition on a molecular level. Pathophysiology is the
disordered physiological processes associated with disease and injury. And biochemistry is
the branch of science concerned with chemical and physiochemical processes of living
organisms to optimize human function.
C H A P T E R 4 T H E M E D I C I N E O F H O T Y O G A V S . T H E T O X I C I T Y O F B I G P H A R M A 5 9
T H E H O T R E A L I T Y O F H O T Y O G A
Dr. Herbst states while at her time at the Functional Medical Institute at Cleveland Clinic as
a clinical advisor, she estimates that over 60% of the patients had a chronic illness and had
exhausted all other treatment options. “They’d often come in with reams of medical
records. They’d been to the likes of a Mayo clinic and nobody could help them.”
45
Unlike what some in the healthcare community may inherently think, this new integrative
healthcare approach successfully implemented by the Cleveland Clinic Center of Functional
Medicine, is an outcome based model. In other words, in outcome-based healthcare, health
systems focus on reducing variation in how they treat a wide variety of diseases and
conditions, a process that requires all clinicians to provide accurate diagnoses and
treatments to improve patient “outcomes”. CCCFM asserts in their internal reports that
46
patients had greater clinical improvements and lower health care costs than patients who’d
received conventional care at Cleveland Clinic hospital.
However, there are traditional health care organizations such as The American Academy of
Family Physicians AAFP that deem functional medicine as an unproven discipline. In 2014,
the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) had placed a moratorium on
continuing medical education (CME) for all programs related to Functional Medicine (FM)
through 2018, which it has since partially lifted its moratorium continuing education on.
But only to the extent that these courses give family practice doctors sufficient information
47
to educate interested patients about the practice. The “The AAFP determined “a lack of
accompanying evidence existed to support the practice of Functional Medicine…(and the
AAFP) identified some treatments as harmful and dangerous.”
There are understandably skeptics in this space that provide a separate viewpoint
regarding functional medicine such as Jann Bellamy, an attorney, activist and writer for the
Science & Medical journal. Ms. Bellamy believes that functional medicine should fall under
the category of holistic pseudo-science and that this new model has not done enough in the
field of medicine to validate its existence or to scale to the general public as a viable
healthcare archetype. She has asked that the AAFP publish research behind their findings
that functional medicine lacks evidence, and that some of their treatments are harmful and
dangerous as she pointed out by the AAFP.
C H A P T E R 4 T H E M E D I C I N E O F H O T Y O G A V S . T H E T O X I C I T Y O F B I G P H A R M A 6 0
T H E H O T R E A L I T Y O F H O T Y O G A
I agree with the assertion that if in fact there are some findings from functional medicine
treatments that the AAFP have determined to be harmful and dangerous to the public, the
AAFP should release that information to the general public for dissection. It’s very
important for patients and licensed health care professionals to have full transparency and
disclose as much available information for people to be able to perform their own due
diligence. Protecting and shielding the public from harmful and questionable practices
should always take priority above all else.
Nonetheless, that does not at any rate nullify or disqualify the remaining substantiated
outcomes found in functional medicine found to be reliable that the AAFP (from their
viewpoint) have deemed suitable as CME’s (continuing medical education) or for
educational consumption to the general public. I prefer to veer away from Ms. Bellamy’s
ideology that if functional medicine model can’t prove “all” the merits of its applications
solely through the lens of science, that it is baseless and should be considered holistic
pseudo-science. It’s almost like asking a patient to prove that the “pain” their experiencing
is real. Obviously, with this model still being fairly new, there is still more research to be
conducted and data to be collected and examined to arrive at more evidence based
outcome based data in my opinion.
As an example on the topic of providing proof of an outcome, ancient Chinese have known
for several thousands of years the health benefits associated with drinking green tea.
Green tea is rich in polyphenols that have effects of reducing inflammation and helping
48
fight cancer. EGCG (Epigallocatechins) or Cathechins for short is an anti-oxidant and is
one of the most powerful compounds found in green tea which are also found in foods we
eat or drink like red wine. Cathechins are harnessed through ingestion where it travels
49
through the bloodstream and into our cells/DNA where they work on free radicals.
Research has shown free radicals cause cell damage to our DNA and are responsible for
50
accelerating aging.
Many of the recent intervention studies in vitro data and epidemiological studies support
the medical findings that many ancient Chinese practitioners have known for thousands of
years. The same will perhaps be said for functional medicine in the future. This is the
nature of an evolving medical field of science and going down the road less travelled. As
more data becomes available for peer review, more research can reveal the soundness or
limitations of such an approach.
C H A P T E R 4 T H E M E D I C I N E O F H O T Y O G A V S . T H E T O X I C I T Y O F B I G P H A R M A 6 1
T H E H O T R E A L I T Y O F H O T Y O G A
Therefore, to judge the functional medicine model solely through the limited scope of
conventional medicine and sparse data alone does a disingenuous disservice to the
majority of people who would otherwise stand to benefit from the complexity and
specificity of this approach. If restoring balance (homeostasis) to the human body through
functional medicine is achievable, it shouldn’t solely be authenticated through the lens of
hard science, because science alone is limited in its explanations as to how the body
achieves a cure from sickness. Science as a tool can explain to us the “what”, but cannot
always effectively explain the why in my humble opinion.
Again, I maintain that functional medicine as an increasingly popular healthcare platform is
certainly worth exploring as viable integrative healthcare model. I would highly advise that
one should take much care into researching and utilizing a “licensed” healthcare
practitioner’s background with respect to the application of functional medicine and/or the
company collecting your personal data for the purposes of putting together a health
intervention profile for diagnostic purposes. In the constant pursuit of restoring,
maintaining and promoting optimal health, and preventing avoidable illnesses and
diseases, nothing is ever clear cut. But all should remain as open minded in their quest for
facts and wellness as afforded us with modern medicine. Our lives depend on it.
C H A P T E R 4 T H E M E D I C I N E O F H O T Y O G A V S . T H E T O X I C I T Y O F B I G P H A R M A 6 2
T H E H O T R E A L I T Y O F H O T Y O G A
Chapter 5 Losing Weight & Derailing the Train to
Obesity Land
“Weight loss doesn't begin in the gym with a dumbbell; it
starts in your head with a decision.” ~ Toni Sorenson
C H A P T E R 5 L O S I N G W E I G H T & D E R A I L I N G T H E T R A I N T O O B E S I T Y L A N D 6 3
T H E H O T R E A L I T Y O F H O T Y O G A
Obesity in America is an epidemic and continues to worsen. According to the CDC as of
51
2014, the prevalence of obesity was just over 36% among adults and 17% amongst youth.
The incidence of obesity among women was even higher at (38.3%) than in men at
(34.3%). Because of the health and medical implications associated with this crisis, in my
52
opinion, we must change this hazardous trend immediately in the U.S. and abroad.
When people say overweight, most likely they are identifying with BMI (body mass index)
which is a more accurate picture of our overall weight. But within the body mass which
comprises of the fat that makes up a substantial portion of our weight, there is a dangerous
culprit looming that negatively impacts our health. It is known as visceral fat, the worst
type of fat that our body can house. It is excess fat that's stored within your abdominal
cavity, hence fat that's stored around several organs including the liver, pancreas, and
intestines.
Unlike subcutaneous fat, which is fat found under the skin which is all over the body that
wiggles and giggles, (which is fat most people associate with obesity), visceral fat is
dangerous because it is found under the abdominal walls and cannot be pinched like
subcutaneous fat.
C H A P T E R 5 L O S I N G W E I G H T & D E R A I L I N G T H E T R A I N T O O B E S I T Y L A N D 6 4
T H E H O T R E A L I T Y O F H O T Y O G A
Visceral fat
C H A P T E R 5 L O S I N G W E I G H T & D E R A I L I N G T H E T R A I N T O O B E S I T Y L A N D 6 5
T H E H O T R E A L I T Y O F H O T Y O G A
Subcutaneous fat
C H A P T E R 5 L O S I N G W E I G H T & D E R A I L I N G T H E T R A I N T O O B E S I T Y L A N D 6 6
T H E H O T R E A L I T Y O F H O T Y O G A
Higher amounts of visceral fat are associated and linked to an increased risk of various
types of diseases such as type 2 diabetes, breast cancer, heart disease, insulin resistance,
and dyslipidemia (an abnormal amount of lipids in the blood, i.e., triglycerides, cholesterol,
and/or fat phospholipids).
53
How do you know whether you have excess visceral fat? The expensive route to go would
be to measure belly fat and undergo diagnostic testing called an MRI (Magnetic Resonance
Imaging) to produce detailed imaging of soft tissue in that region, which can be costly. But
the more cost-effective way to determine whether you have too much visceral fat would be
to measure your waistline using a tape measure. To accomplish this, simply take a tape
measure and wrap it around your waist to the level of your navel:
C H A P T E R 5 L O S I N G W E I G H T & D E R A I L I N G T H E T R A I N T O O B E S I T Y L A N D 6 7
T H E H O T R E A L I T Y O F H O T Y O G A
There is a tendency to suck in our gut or to pull the tape tight enough to press into our skin.
But resist that temptation and measure it naturally as you are. Generally, among women, a
waist measurement of 35 inches or higher is a sign of excess visceral fat, and high health
risk. Whereas in men in the metrics are slightly higher, 40 inches or higher places their
health at high risk. There are numerous determining factors as to where we tend to store
54
fat, including genetics, hormones, age, and other contributing factors.
Why does the body store visceral fat around the organs of the abdomen? Well, scientists
are still researching this issue, but to date, researchers have found that the stress hormone
cortisol significantly increases the storage of visceral fat. This stress hormone plays a
significant role as to where visceral fat is stored. According to a published article in
55
Harvard Women's Health Watch, as women go through their middle years, their proportion
of fat to body weight tends to increase more so than it does in men and fat storage begins
favoring the upper body over the hips and thighs. Even if you don't gain weight, your
56
waistline can grow by inches as visceral fat pushes out against the abdominal wall. As for
men, fat accumulated in the lower body (the pear shape) is subcutaneous fat, whereas fat in
the abdominal area (the apple shape) is largely visceral fat. No matter what your body type
or shape, excess fat isn't good for your health.
C H A P T E R 5 L O S I N G W E I G H T & D E R A I L I N G T H E T R A I N T O O B E S I T Y L A N D 6 8
T H E H O T R E A L I T Y O F H O T Y O G A
However, the good news is that visceral fat surrenders fairly effortlessly to exercise and
diet, with benefits ranging from lower blood pressure, more favorable cholesterol levels,
and weight loss. More importantly, hot yoga helps deliver these benefits in spades.
Longtime yoga practitioner and lead science Pulitzer prize journalist for the New York
times William J. Beard states in his book “The Science of Yoga: The Risks and Rewards,”
states that yoga ends up lowering our stress levels, which prevents us from stress eating.
57
This, in my medical opinion, is a significant factor to consider pertaining to weight loss and
the “battle of the bulge.”
Apple Shape Pear Shape
More Visceral Fat Less Visceral Fat
Higher Risk of Health-Related Issues Lower Risk of Health-Related Issues
C H A P T E R 5 L O S I N G W E I G H T & D E R A I L I N G T H E T R A I N T O O B E S I T Y L A N D 6 9
T H E H O T R E A L I T Y O F H O T Y O G A
Chapter 6 Sweat-Smile-Repeat: Your Sweat, Your Skin,
& Your Immune System
“I'm not out there sweating for three hours every day just
to find out what it feels like to sweat.” ~ Michael Jordan
C H A P T E R 6 S W E A T - S M I L E - R E P E A T : Y O U R S W E A T , Y O U R S K I N , & Y O U R I M M U N E S Y S T E M 7 0
T H E H O T R E A L I T Y O F H O T Y O G A
What is the largest organ of the human body? Many would guess the liver, but it’s actually
our skin, a major part of what is medically known as the integumentary system. It spans
approximately 20 square feet in adults and (2 square meters) and weighs approximately 8
lbs. Our skin protects us from microbes and the environment, helping to regulate body
temperature, while granting the sensation of touch, heat and cold. With this established,
58
sweating (or perspiration) is the mechanism by which homeostasis is made possible by the
opening up of the pores of our skin when engaging in physical fitness related activities such
as hot yoga.
Sweating intentionally is a responsive impulse that goes far back in human history and is a
material byproduct of hot yoga which comes with some additional benefits outside of just
cooling off our bodies. German scientist Birgit Schittek from Eberhard-Karls University in
Tübingen, Germany discovered a natural antibody found in sweat called Dermcidin. This
antibody is capable of killing a range of bad bacteria including E. Coli and the yeast Candida
Albicans. Schittek goes on to explain that while the bacteria thrives in warm moist
59
conditions, the body will continue to secrete through its sweat glands Dermcidin. This
makes use of this natural anti-microbial when the temperature on the surface of the skin
rises. Currently Schittek and other scientists are unsure as to how Dermcidin actually
disables bad bacteria. More research is ongoing regarding their findings.
60
Skin specialist Keith Holland from University of Leeds, UK explains in the journal Nature
how natural antibodies in sweat could be important in protecting wounds from bacterial
infection and may be particularly important in preventing resident bacteria on skin from
getting inside cracked or open wounds to cause infection. New York City dermatologist
61
Dr. Neal Schultz MD says that sweat acts as a skin moisturizer, it helps cleanse and unclog
the pores, helps cools the skin, and even helps kill bad bacteria on the skin like staph (short
62
for staphylococcus) with its peptide called Dermcidin.
With these benefits inherited through sweating, it’s no wonder hot yoga practitioners
continue to reap unrealized gains from this practice. Here are some recommended skin
care tips that you can do for the studio before and after you sweat to keep your skin healthy
after hot yoga:
C H A P T E R 6 S W E A T - S M I L E - R E P E A T : Y O U R S W E A T , Y O U R S K I N , & Y O U R I M M U N E S Y S T E M 7 1
T H E H O T R E A L I T Y O F H O T Y O G A
1. If possible, before class avoid wearing make-up. As your face and body warms up
from the heat and activity, your pores open and you want to avoid the potential of
make-up to settle back into your pores, thus clogging them. But for those women
who aren’t comfortable going out in public with a bare face consider a non-
comdeogenic that won’t clog pores.
2. Always take a shower (preferably a cold shower) after your hot yoga session and
make sure to wash your face. You’ll find that if you can tolerate them, cold showers
are not only revitalizing, but some studies have shown it to boost physical and
mental health .
63
3. Carry some pre-soaked salicylic or gycolic toner pads in your gym bag that you can
use for your face post class. According to Dr. Rita Linker, a NY based dermatologist,
she states that these pads are helpful for anyone with oily skin because salicylic acid
is a great peeling agent that will take off that layer of sweat along with any residual
make-up after your hot yoga session .
64
4. Keep your hair off your face. This applies to both men and women. If you have long
hair, it’s best to keep it back and pulled away from your face during hot yoga. This
helps prevent oils from clogging your pores, which can cause breakouts.
65
5. Don’t touch your face!
These skin care tips when properly applied will insure most favorable results for your face
and overall skin care maintenance.
C H A P T E R 6 S W E A T - S M I L E - R E P E A T : Y O U R S W E A T , Y O U R S K I N , & Y O U R I M M U N E S Y S T E M 7 2
T H E H O T R E A L I T Y O F H O T Y O G A
The process of removal or flushing of toxins from our body otherwise classified as
detoxification, or detox for short, is a phrase often tossed around by some of our hot yoga
instructors as a benefit to its practitioners. But what does that truly mean? Toxins are
anything that is harmful and adverse to our body. A toxin can be of internal origin,
produced by the biological processes of the body. Or, toxins can be of external origin,
introduced to our body by way of ingestion, skin absorption, or inhalation.
The primary organs of our body responsible for removal of toxins are our liver, kidney,
small and large intestines, skin and lungs. An over build-up of toxins can be responsible for
inflammation and acidity in our body, as well as impairment of the liver, kidneys and
intestines which can lead to illness and disease. When the liver and kidneys are overrun
with toxins, it can seep into our bloodstream, tissues and organs instead of being filtered
out.
Liver: As one of the main organs of elimination, the liver cleanses the blood from excess
chemicals we ingest from food, drugs and hormones accomplished in 2 phases. The first
phase converts toxins into less toxic molecules while they wait to enter into phase two,
where these molecules are altered into water soluble compounds making it easier to
secrete by the kidneys and intestines.
C H A P T E R 6 S W E A T - S M I L E - R E P E A T : Y O U R S W E A T , Y O U R S K I N , & Y O U R I M M U N E S Y S T E M 7 3
T H E H O T R E A L I T Y O F H O T Y O G A
Kidneys: Responsible for removing waste byproducts, excess fluid and drugs from our
body, this organ serves as a filtering system by blood entering the kidneys through
functional units called nephrons. The nephrons consists of a glomerulus and tubule where
blood is filtered through the glomerulus and remaining fluid goes into the tubule and has
water or chemicals either added or removed depending on requirement.
Large & Small Intestines: Food digested by the stomach enters into the small intestines
where absorption takes place whereas the role of the large intestines involves performing
the vital function of converting food into waste for elimination. The large intestine is also
responsible for absorbing essential vitamins produced by the gut bacteria.
Skin: With the skin being the largest organ in our body, it’s easy to forget that whatever we
place on or comes into contact with our skin is directly absorbed into our body and
eventually into our bloodstream. As a result, many chemicals from products that we use
such as soaps, deodorants, lotions, perfumes and other personal care products can
potentially create chaos to our endocrine system. Seek more natural alternatives where
needed.
Lungs: The lungs help rid the body of chemicals that have been metabolized (broken
down) by the liver into a gaseous form. A perfect example of this can be seen with alcohol
consumption and having the terrible smell of alcohol on your breathe the very next day.
Phlegm is another means of expulsion of toxins from the lungs.
We as living organisms are exposed to toxins on a daily basis . In addition, no other
66
generation prior to ours has been more exposed to the onslaught of man-made chemicals
and toxic substances as we have been. If it were not for the self-regulatory mechanisms of
our body’s organs which promote self-healing and the interventions done on our part we
could not survive as a human species. Without the body’s natural defense to offset toxic
accumulation, our bodies would become overwhelmed by the massive build-up of toxins in
our system due to its inability to properly discharge them. This would invite all manner of
diseases that would adversely harm and ultimately kill us. Our survival is vital on the
body’s natural ability to properly rid itself of antigens.
C H A P T E R 6 S W E A T - S M I L E - R E P E A T : Y O U R S W E A T , Y O U R S K I N , & Y O U R I M M U N E S Y S T E M 7 4
T H E H O T R E A L I T Y O F H O T Y O G A
However, does hot yoga aid in detoxifying or cleansing built up toxins through sweating? It
depends who you ask, and what one means or is implied when suggesting detoxification or
cleansing as it relates to hot yoga. More interestingly, can detoxification take place through
sweating and to what degree does our skin aid in the process? If you speak to holistically
and naturopathicically educated doctors and other healthcare professionals, some agree
that the body, after being overrun with toxins, may resort to using the skin, through
67
sweating to purge toxins. Naturopathic doctor Alex Chan who works at the Integrative
Naturopathic Medical Centre on Vancouver’s Westside says toxic chemicals and metals like
68
mercury can be flushed out of the body. The kidney, liver, intestines and lungs already
play a role in the cleansing and detoxification of the blood, with the liver playing the most
significant role as one of the largest organs in the body. One of the roles that the liver plays
in detoxification in the body is by metabolizing proteins: liver cells change proteins into
amino acids in foods so that they can be used to produce energy. Ammonia, a toxic
substance being a by-product of this process is converted to a less toxic substance called
urea which is released into the bloodstream through the liver cells conversion.
69
But for all intents and purposes, it’s been determined that sweat is mostly made up of
water and minerals while only containing trace amounts of toxic substances and does not
sufficiently or effectively contribute to removing toxins. A toxic cohort to factor into this
conversation is BPA (Bisphenol A) found in the plastics of water bottles and the lining of
coffee cups that we drink our beverages in . The body does appear to sweat out trace
70
71
amounts of toxic materials, i.e. heavy metals and BPA . However, there’s no conclusive
evidence that sweating out such toxins generally improves health. Animal studies have
shown a possible link between BPA exposure and a later increased risk of cancer. BPA has
been shown to play a role in the pathogenesis of several endocrine disorders including
female and male infertility as well as hormone dependent tumors such as breast and
72
prostate cancer.
C H A P T E R 6 S W E A T - S M I L E - R E P E A T : Y O U R S W E A T , Y O U R S K I N , & Y O U R I M M U N E S Y S T E M 7 5
T H E H O T R E A L I T Y O F H O T Y O G A
BPA is primarily excreted and flushed out of our bodies by way of our kidneys through
urine. However, the process of sweating these chemicals (toxins) out of our body doesn’t
appear as effective at reducing the body’s concentration of these toxins as our kidneys. But
the best way to reduce BPA exposure is to avoid eating and drinking out of containers made
with it, according to the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences. Thereby,
73
scientific researchers suggest that the claim of sweating out toxins, at best, may be a bit
exaggerated from their viewpoint which includes pollutants such as pesticides, fire
retardants, and the chemicals polychlorinated bisphenols or PCB’s. For those seeking a
more effective way of removing high levels of metals from the blood should research a
medical process called chelation therapy.
74
C H A P T E R 6 S W E A T - S M I L E - R E P E A T : Y O U R S W E A T , Y O U R S K I N , & Y O U R I M M U N E S Y S T E M 7 6
T H E H O T R E A L I T Y O F H O T Y O G A
Hence, to scientifically summarize the topic of detoxification of the body through hot yoga
induced sweating, the science and research to date supports the position that there is
minimal evidence supporting sweating as a mechanism in the effective removal of toxins.
However, metaphorically speaking, there is no denying to us practitioners the mental
purging of our toxic thoughts that don’t serve us, the emotional purification of poisonous
feelings that don’t serve us, or the spiritual renewal experienced that frees us that we
collectively acknowledge takes place. This experience is rewarded to us by way of
endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin, which science can adequately quantify. Science is not
currently equipped to measure the unquantifiable, and understandably so. As it pertains to
this subject, we recognize that our well-being can’t be scientifically proven. Healthline
Media offers 9 Ways for a Full Body Detox to rejuvenate your body :
75
Limit your alcohol intake
Focus on sleep
Drink more water
Reduce intake of sugar and processed food
Eat Antioxidant Rich foods
Eat foods high in Prebiotics
Decrease your salt intake
Get regular exercise
Eat sulfur containing foods
We hot yoga practitioners are made aware that through various Bikram postures during
what’s called the “floor series” such as Single Knee & Double Knee to Chest that
compression of the internal organs involving the ascending, descending and transverse
colons, kidneys, pancreas and liver takes place. Does compaction any of these internal
organs in anyway facilitate, accelerate or influence the role of removal of toxins?
I suspect (without any supporting evidence) that compaction of the internal organs,
through these postures in a heat-induced environment may facilitate or influence
metabolic activities involving removal of toxins from the body by way of our internal
organs as mentioned in further detail in Chapter 7 “Gut Microbiome and Influencing
Healthy Digestion”.
C H A P T E R 6 S W E A T - S M I L E - R E P E A T : Y O U R S W E A T , Y O U R S K I N , & Y O U R I M M U N E S Y S T E M 7 7
T H E H O T R E A L I T Y O F H O T Y O G A
To finish off the role of homeostasis, our body's temperature is regulated at a set reference
point, and temperature sensors throughout the body responds to the central controller in
the medial preoptic/anterior hypothalamic region of the brainstem. When adjusted, heat
production and loss in our body takes place accordingly. Evaporation of water from sweat
76
is a vital form of heat loss. To regulate body temperature, heat gain and loss are controlled
by the autonomic nervous system's alteration of (a) heat flow from the core to the skin via
the blood and (b) sweating. Thermoreceptors in the skin and body core provide input into
the hypothalamic thermoregulatory center where this information is processed via a
proportional control system. With a resultant signal for heat loss by the thermoregulatory
effector responses, sweating and alterations in skin blood flow take place. Secretion of
77
sweat occurs when the surrounding temperature rises above 87.8°F, and/or when internal
body core temperature rises above 98.6°F.
C H A P T E R 6 S W E A T - S M I L E - R E P E A T : Y O U R S W E A T , Y O U R S K I N , & Y O U R I M M U N E S Y S T E M 7 8
T H E H O T R E A L I T Y O F H O T Y O G A
During exercise in heat, the primary cardiovascular challenge is to simultaneously provide
sufficient blood flow to exercising the skeletal muscle to support metabolism while
providing sufficient blood flow to the skin to dissipate heat. In hot environments, the core-
to-skin temperature gradient is less in cool environments, so that skin blood flow must be
relatively high to achieve sufficient heat transfer to maintain thermal balance. For
78
example, a runner will experience greater hyperthermia if he or she competes in a
79
95°F/35°C environment or greater.
C H A P T E R 6 S W E A T - S M I L E - R E P E A T : Y O U R S W E A T , Y O U R S K I N , & Y O U R I M M U N E S Y S T E M 7 9
T H E H O T R E A L I T Y O F H O T Y O G A
So for us, this means that participating in fitness activities in a heat-induced environment
such as a hot yoga studio will potentially produce exercise and recovery related outcome
opportunities that athletes enjoy to varying degrees in my professional opinion. The results
are achieved through this practice which makes this discipline an excellent candidate as a
fitness activity in addition to a mind/body discipline. The overheating and stressing the
body undergoes places it in a state of discomfort, necessary for meaningful changes to take
place internally to induce health and fitness.
C H A P T E R 6 S W E A T - S M I L E - R E P E A T : Y O U R S W E A T , Y O U R S K I N , & Y O U R I M M U N E S Y S T E M 8 0
T H E H O T R E A L I T Y O F H O T Y O G A
The Heat Stress Index (HSI) indicates thermal comfort/discomfort from external heat
80
environment. My hypothesis is heat produced in an enclosed yoga room produces an
ideal environment to replicate those stressors required in the human body. R. Victor Jones,
Professor of Applied Physics, Emeritus at Harvard School of Engineering and Applied
Sciences states in his published paper when the HSI is less than 20% the body is in a state
of thermal comfort. For levels greater than 30% but less than 60%, heat levels become
uncomfortable. This state of discomfort somewhat interferes with your concentration and
fine motor performance, but is tolerable forcing you to focus. When HSI > 60%, conditions
81
seem intolerable. When the rate of evaporation is lower than the rate required, the
amount of heat storage (S) in the body is found from the heat balance equation which can
be used to predict tolerance times.
<25 kcal -- may not be noticeable if slow enough heating rate
>80 kcal -- voluntary tolerance time
160 kcal -- 50% risk of collapse
240 kcal -- intolerable
82
Why is this important? Because this same Harvard inspired research states that a healthy
man or woman could tolerate for 60 minutes of dry bulb temperature of 104°F (40°C), at
80% relative humidity. The test demonstrated that tolerance was reached after 60 minutes
with an SAR (Specific Absorption Rate, a measure of the rate that the human body absorbs
energy) of 3.11 W/kg. Sound familiar? For the seasoned hot yoga practitioner, it should.
83
C H A P T E R 6 S W E A T - S M I L E - R E P E A T : Y O U R S W E A T , Y O U R S K I N , & Y O U R I M M U N E S Y S T E M 8 1
T H E H O T R E A L I T Y O F H O T Y O G A
Heat shock proteins or (HSP) and the role it plays in our health and vitality as mentioned
earlier in Chapter 3 is a term we should all familiarize ourselves with because it's impact on
our overall health cannot go overstated. Heat shock proteins are specific proteins that are
made when cells are briefly exposed to environmental, physical, and chemical stresses and
that limit the consequences of damage and facilitate cellular recovery in our body. Italian
84
geneticist Ferruccio Ritossa first uncovered an expression as he described as “puffing” of
the chromosome Drosophila when the cell is exposed to brief sub-lethal high temperature.
This discovery led to the identification of heat shock proteins in 1974.
85
C H A P T E R 6 S W E A T - S M I L E - R E P E A T : Y O U R S W E A T , Y O U R S K I N , & Y O U R I M M U N E S Y S T E M 8 2
T H E H O T R E A L I T Y O F H O T Y O G A
These "Heat Shock Proteins" cells are broadly categorized according to their size and
include the Hsp70, Hsp27, Hsp60, Hsp90, Hsp100 families, with each group (family) or
member of the family expressing themselves in a range of functions. Certain heat shock
proteins have been suggested to be linked from everything from anti-aging, increased
insulin sensitivity and protein damage repair, to muscle growth and neurogenesis and
heart health, all of which are brought on through heat stress of hyperthermic conditioning.
Tremendous efforts have been aimed at identifying therapies directed towards HSPS as of
late. Hsp70 and Hsp90 have received the most interest simply because they are the ones
best understood in terms for drug recovery.
86
C H A P T E R 6 S W E A T - S M I L E - R E P E A T : Y O U R S W E A T , Y O U R S K I N , & Y O U R I M M U N E S Y S T E M 8 3
T H E H O T R E A L I T Y O F H O T Y O G A
Within the context of hot yoga, the physiological role that 105 degrees of heat in a
controlled environment produces notable benefits induced by heat shock proteins.
Numerous studies attribute the survival-promoting effects of the HSPS for their ability to
suppress the battle of apoptosis (the death of human cells that occurs as a normal part of
organism growth and development) in response to heat. Induction of the HSPS protects
87
cells against stresses imposed by heat shock. Thus, it has been proposed recently by
researchers that increased protein damage during aging may be exacerbated by a declining
heat shock response, reduced levels of HSPS, and the resultant loss of quality protein
88
control. To discover more ongoing research on this fascinating biological world of HSPS
and what it could mean for health, I highly recommend following Dr. Rhonda Patrick’s
podcast as well as following her on twitter @foundmyfitness. Dr. Patrick offers
explanations on detailed case studies and research on the topic of high shock proteins and
how it can positively impact our health like no other scientist in the field.
A healthy and optimal functioning immune system plays a vital role in maintaining our
body’s natural defensive mechanism against infections, bacteria, illnesses and viruses
dormant or foreign to the human body. Your immune system is made up of special cells
(leukocytes, lymphocytes, monocytes, T-Cells, NK Cells) tissues (bone marrow, thymus,
lymph nodes, spleen, tonsils, lymphatic tissue) and organs (gut, liver, skin) that work
89
together to protect you. The lymphatic system makes up a major part of this system.
Lymphatic are thin tubes that spread, like blood vessels throughout the body, delivering
clear fluid called lymph. It contains tissue fluid, waste products, and immune system cells.
Lymph nodes are immune system cells that contain white blood cells responsible for
rapping viruses, bacteria and other invader like cancer cells.
It’s widely understood in the sports medicine and medical community that the immune
system is responsive to regular exercise and has been theoretically linked to improving the
immune system. The branch of medical science known as exercise immunology has been
tasked by researchers as early as the 1900’s in determining the association, but is
considered a new scientific branch with 90% of its research papers having been published
after 1990 .
90
The 4 areas of exercise immunology researched and published at length in The Journal of
Sport and Health Science are the following from authors David C. Neiman and Laurel M.
Wentz :
91
1. Acute & Chronic Effects of Exercise on the Immune System
2. Clinical Benefits of the Exercise-Immune Response to Exercise
C H A P T E R 6 S W E A T - S M I L E - R E P E A T : Y O U R S W E A T , Y O U R S K I N , & Y O U R I M M U N E S Y S T E M 8 4
T H E H O T R E A L I T Y O F H O T Y O G A
3. Nutritional Influences on the Immune Response to Exercise
4. The Effect of Exercise on Immunosenesence
For the purposes of analysis, this chapter will summarize the discoveries within the areas
of #1 “The Effects of Acute & Chronic Exercise on the Immune System and #2 “The Clinical
Benefits of Exercise & The Immune Response to Exercise” detailed by these authors as I
endeavor to tie these findings to the practice of hot yoga.
Exercise immunology researchers categorize physical training as acute exercise and
chronic exercise. Acute exercise is defined as a single bout of physical exertion and
chronic exercise is defined as a repeated amount of bouts of physical exertion. Both of
these activities can be further differentiated by either moderate or high exertion. The
duration of these exercises within the researcher’s models is 60 minutes utilizing an
intensity threshold of 60% of the heart rate reserve. Bikram/hot yoga falls under the
92
classification of a moderate chronic exercise by definition as categorized by the exercise
immunology model. We’ll shortly understand the importance that this plays relative to our
immune system.
Published research by authors David C. Neiman and Laurel M. Wentz indicate moderate
physical activity when repeated on a regular basis promotes improved immunosurveillance
(monitoring process of the immune system to detect and destroy virally infected cells in
the body), while granting us multiple health benefits that include decreased incidence of
illness and diminished systemic inflammation. Randomized clinical trials of athletes
93
conducted from 8 weeks to 1 year in length consistently reveal athletes assigned to
moderate exercise programs undergo reduced upper respiratory tract infection (URTI)
occurrences. The chart below reflects the magnitude in reduction in URTI days with near-
daily moderate exercise randomized clinical trials (typically 40%-50%) surpassing levels
for most medications and supplements. Henceforth, the study bolsters published health
guidelines urging individuals like you and I to be physically active on a regular basis.
C H A P T E R 6 S W E A T - S M I L E - R E P E A T : Y O U R S W E A T , Y O U R S K I N , & Y O U R I M M U N E S Y S T E M 8 5
T H E H O T R E A L I T Y O F H O T Y O G A
Fig. 1 J-curve model of the relationship between the exercise workload continuum and risk for
upper respiratory tract infection (URTI). Other factors such as travel, pathogen exposure, sleep
disruption, mental stress and dietary patterns influence this relationship. This figure was adapted
from Neiman.
You’ll notice from the graph the protective effort of moderate activity on illness incidence
contrasts with increased illness risk linked to prolonged and intensive exercise. This model
suggests there is a correlation between moderate “intermittent” exercise and reduced
upper respiratory infection/illness. Prolonged high intensity exercise loads are associated
with increased risk for upper respiratory infection and illness. This is fascinating data to
say the least. Although the research suggests that this model may not be applicable to elite
athletes on the highest level. These studies illustrate the number of days subjects had
94
with URTI were 43% lower to subjects engaging in an average of 5 or more days per week
of aerobic exercise (20 minutes or longer). This contrasts from factoring a 46% lower
incident rate when comparing subjects with the highest as opposed to the lowest statistics
for perceived physical fitness.
For the purpose of context, prolonged intensive exercise activities as categorized by
exercise immunologists and American Heart Association are the following:
C H A P T E R 6 S W E A T - S M I L E - R E P E A T : Y O U R S W E A T , Y O U R S K I N , & Y O U R I M M U N E S Y S T E M 8 6
T H E H O T R E A L I T Y O F H O T Y O G A
Marathon & Endurance runners (42km-56km)
Tri-Athletes
Cyclists
Professional Swimmers
Cross Country Skiers
High Impact Aerobics
Jumping rope & Jumping Jacks
Vigorous Calisthenics
C H A P T E R 6 S W E A T - S M I L E - R E P E A T : Y O U R S W E A T , Y O U R S K I N , & Y O U R I M M U N E S Y S T E M 8 7
T H E H O T R E A L I T Y O F H O T Y O G A
C H A P T E R 6 S W E A T - S M I L E - R E P E A T : Y O U R S W E A T , Y O U R S K I N , & Y O U R I M M U N E S Y S T E M 8 8
T H E H O T R E A L I T Y O F H O T Y O G A
From a heart rate perspective, this category of prolonged intensive activity is also defined
by the American Heart Association (AHA) as vigorous exercise at a heart rate of 70%-85%
of a person’s maximum heart rate. This varies by a person’s age and fitness level. Within
95
this subset of fitness participants, clinical trials conducted demonstrated a high and varying
degree of illness risk with high exercise workloads. Early epidemiologic studies indicate
that athletes engaging in marathon and ultra-marathon race events and/or very heavy
96
training were at increased risks of URTI. For example, clinical trials on a sample of 134
control marathon runners taken out of a batch of 1828 participants reported illness
symptoms 2 months before and 1 week after a 42.2 km race. But even more compelling, a
key finding illustrates an illness incidence of 6x higher in runners who finished the race vs.
control marathon runners in the clinical trials (13% vs. 2%). Research concluded that
runners training >97km/week vs. <37km per week were at a higher URTI risk, while
inversely lowering their immunoresponse to germs, bacteria and virus.
97
In addition, clinical evidence supports that prolonged high intensity exercise training,
competition events, and associated physiological, metabolic, and psychological stress are
linked to immune dysfunction, inflammation, oxidative stress and muscle damage.
98
CrossFit as a fitness discipline is highly intense and competitive to engage in, particularly
for the novice. As compelling as this fitness discipline appears from the outside, this activity
would fall under the definition of prolonged acute intensive exercise. Rhabdomyolysis (a
kidney condition most commonly induced by excessive exercise) represents a condition
highly associated with CrossFit along with multi-joint injuries. Due to the health related
99
risks associated when engaging this discipline, it’s paramount to weigh the risk versus the
benefits, especially when engaging in explosive movements and training to excessive
exhaustion without the proper training. or guidance
Many of us mistakenly believe that intensive exercise is correlated with a strong immune
system, but these studies seem to suggest the opposite. It’s been shown and proven that a
“consistent” moderate exercise program and fitness regimen with short intermittent bursts
to elevate cardiorespiratory capacity is enough to continually defend your immune system
against bacteria, parasite, germs, and viruses. Furthermore, a healthy dose of hot yoga is
highly recommended for those pursuing a health and fitness protocol that integrates this
st
component into their exercise program. Our 1 line of defense to strengthen our immune
system is to choose a healthy lifestyle which also integrates good nutrition into the
equation which is detailed in Chapter 14. Every part of our body, including our immune
system functions optimally when protected from environmental aggression and supported
by healthy living strategies.
C H A P T E R 6 S W E A T - S M I L E - R E P E A T : Y O U R S W E A T , Y O U R S K I N , & Y O U R I M M U N E S Y S T E M 8 9
T H E H O T R E A L I T Y O F H O T Y O G A
The research however by no means suggests that prolonged acute intensive exercise
activities are unhealthy for the human body, far from that. In fact, they are the opposite. But
research concludes when contrasted against regular chronic moderate exercises such as
hot yoga, the findings appear conclusive. Nonetheless, if one were inclined to choose a
regular fitness activity for the purposes of physical fitness and a healthy immune system,
then the data heavily leans towards regular chronic moderate exercises. Here are other
activities besides hot yoga that can be classified as chronic moderate exercises according to
the Centers for Disease Control (CDC): 100
Easy jogging or jogging on a treadmill
Cycling under 10 miles per hour level terrain
Swimming leisurely
Walking briskly (3-4.5 mph)
Calisthenics (light)
Hiking
Gymnastics
Weight training/body building using free weights
Boxing (punching bag)
C H A P T E R 6 S W E A T - S M I L E - R E P E A T : Y O U R S W E A T , Y O U R S K I N , & Y O U R I M M U N E S Y S T E M 9 0
T H E H O T R E A L I T Y O F H O T Y O G A
C H A P T E R 6 S W E A T - S M I L E - R E P E A T : Y O U R S W E A T , Y O U R S K I N , & Y O U R I M M U N E S Y S T E M 9 1
T H E H O T R E A L I T Y O F H O T Y O G A
Compelling research supports that overall, these activities support a healthy immune
system when consistently practiced. And regularly participating in the chronic moderate
discipline of hot yoga for at least 4 times a week contributes dramatically to the overall
defense against infection, bacteria and virus. Although, there is more research to be
conducted on the subject, research has unveiled promising feedback.
In summary, the advantages illuminating moderate chronic exercises such as heat induced
activities such as hot yoga can produce positive outcomes which include improving the
function of our immune system by boosting our T-cell (a lymphocyte short for Thymus cell
produced by the thymus gland) levels. These T cells are responsible for fighting off various
bacteria and viruses. However, the immune defense does have its limits. Breathing in warm
moist air into our respiratory system during hot yoga can help battle lingering congestion
by loosening the mucus in the nasal passages, throat and lungs. But research has also
shown that in a temperature controlled studio of 105 degrees, heat is incapable of killing
bacteria, viruses or germs in the upper respiratory system. Certainly this is something to
keep in mind.
C H A P T E R 6 S W E A T - S M I L E - R E P E A T : Y O U R S W E A T , Y O U R S K I N , & Y O U R I M M U N E S Y S T E M 9 2
T H E H O T R E A L I T Y O F H O T Y O G A
The idea of exceeding one’s own limits, when faced with a challenge is enticing by any
stretch of our imagination. When we push ourselves beyond what we believe to be our
limits, we tap into a power that transforms and transcends us. I maintain that hot yoga as a
foundational practice can help us exceed those perceived or self-imposed limits we place
on ourselves. If physically and medically capable, barring any pre-existing medical
conditions, the sky is the limit. It's proven every day from seemingly normal individuals
like you and me. Only average people listen to the chatter of naysayers. But we know
better. This explains why many professional athletes in various sports categories
supplement, improve and extend their professional sports career through the practice of
hot yoga or yoga in general. Further research is certainly warranted and is presently being
pursued regarding heat shock proteins, exercise immunology and the vital role that it plays
in our lives. The implications for us reveal an opportunity to improve our overall health
and function for optimal living in society and communities at large. And overall, the
benefits of sweating it out in a heated room far exceed the challenges associated with
enduring 105 degrees for 60-90 minutes as we advance through our yoga postures.
C H A P T E R 6 S W E A T - S M I L E - R E P E A T : Y O U R S W E A T , Y O U R S K I N , & Y O U R I M M U N E S Y S T E M 9 3
T H E H O T R E A L I T Y O F H O T Y O G A
Chapter 7 Hot yoga: The Ferrari That is Your
Metabolism
“You can dramatically affect the expression of your
metabolism and your biochemistry by the way you eat
and the way you live.” ~ Jillian Michaels
C H A P T E R 7 H O T Y O G A : T H E F E R R A R I T H A T I S Y O U R M E T A B O L I S M 9 4
T H E H O T R E A L I T Y O F H O T Y O G A
There are arguments to be made on both sides regarding the impact of hot yoga on
metabolism during sessions. As complex a topic as this is, I will offer scientific arguments to
assist in making up your mind. Part of the art and science of hot yoga is the benefit of
positively impacting and influencing metabolism and digestion. But first, let's begin with
influencing metabolism. Metabolism is a complex chemical process, and the term is
generally used for the catabolic (the breakdown) and anabolic (the synthesis) use of food
and its subsequent transformation in our body. Therefore, in its purest form, this process
influences how easily (or with what difficulty) our bodies gain or lose weight.
Far from the prevailing school of thought amongst advocates that hot yoga boosts your
metabolism, studies done by William J. Beard suggests in “The Science of Yoga,” that the
notion of yoga boosting your metabolism is a bit misleading. His research reveals that yoga
lowers your metabolic rate. His studies attribute this to the practice of relaxing your
muscles and calming your mind, resulting in decreased energy expenditure. The result is it
ends up lowering your stress levels, which prevents you from stress eating which is
responsible for weight gain. Beard goes on to say in his book, “When yoga succeeds at
weight control, the scientific evidence suggests that it does so in spite of, not because of its
basic impact on the human metabolism.”
That said, I maintain that in “hot yoga”, there are a few metabolic body hacks designed to
trigger and accelerate increased metabolism. Standing Head to Knee is one of those
postures. From a medical standpoint, during the apex of the Standing Head to Knee pose,
this pose calls for a temporary “throat choke” which involves bringing your chin to your
neck causing a temporary choking “sensation” for 20 seconds while breathing. This
technique is a metabolic hack that “tricks” your thyroid gland into discharging 2 main
hormones. These hormones called triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxin (T4) secrete
directly into your bloodstream thus increasing your metabolism. These thyroid hormones
affect your body’s metabolic rate and regulate many of your bodily functions such as
breathing, heart rate, body temperature, digestion, and how quickly you burn calories.
C H A P T E R 7 H O T Y O G A : T H E F E R R A R I T H A T I S Y O U R M E T A B O L I S M 9 5
T H E H O T R E A L I T Y O F H O T Y O G A
The amount of fat and muscle present in your body is based on the normal function of your
basal metabolic rate (BMR). BMR plays a crucial role in our tendency to gain weight. For
instance, someone with a low BMR (who thereby burns fewer calories while at rest or
sleep) will tend to increase more pounds of body fat over time. Hopefully, this isn't visceral
fat. Conversely, a comparable shape and sized person, with an average BMR who consumes
the same amount of food, but exercises will burn considerably more calories. By exercising
more frequently, not only will you burn more calories, but become more physically fit while
increasing your BMR. Your BMR is also influenced by body composition. As a rule of thumb,
people with more muscle and less fat have higher BMRs. Thus, exercise plays a key role in
maintaining a healthy metabolism. 101
C H A P T E R 7 H O T Y O G A : T H E F E R R A R I T H A T I S Y O U R M E T A B O L I S M 9 6
T H E H O T R E A L I T Y O F H O T Y O G A
BMR also measures the rate at which your body “burns” energy, in the form of calories,
while at rest. The “typical” adult resting metabolism requires about 1,300 to 1,600 calories
a day according to Harvard to professor of Biological Science Daniel E. Lieberman, to
maintain basic levels of human function. The remainder of your energy is spent doing
things, primarily being physically active, but also digesting and keeping a stable body
temperature. However, this changes if you choose to run a marathon, thus changing your
requirements from 2,000 to 3,000 calories. 102 Introducing calories to the equation, a
calorie (kcal) is a unit that measures how much energy a particular food provides to your
body. More technically, a calorie is the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of
1 kilogram of water 1 degree of Celsius. In addition, the number of calories you burn in a
day is determined by how much activity you engage in or the amount of energy you burn
during your activity.
Brian Tracy, an associate professor at Colorado State University department of Health and
Exercise Science, conducted a study of Bikram/hot yoga involving 19 seasoned 18- to 40-
year-old practitioners – 11 women and eight men. The study illustrates how Tracy
measured the participant’s responses to a 90-minute hot yoga session by measuring their
body’s average metabolic rate, where the figures in his study showed an average of 460
calories burned by the participants. 103 Tracy goes on to say in the same article that the
widely publicized higher calorie count of 1000 calories burned reported are likely due to
participants using a calculation based on their heart rate variability response during hot
yoga.
However, that prediction model is only appropriate for exercise during normal
temperatures. This along with other metrics such as pulse, blood oxygenation, vary among
participants based on the age, body mass, pace, yoga experience, weight, motivation, and
other factors could result in higher or lower calorie-burning and weight loss. 104
Therefore, calories burned by hot yoga practitioners during a 90-minute session could vary
anywhere between 460 to 1000 calories depending on the calculation model being used.
Nonetheless, this runs contrary to the “water cooler” talk popularized among some
fashionable chat circles maintaining the higher calorie count as the normal standard
achieved.
C H A P T E R 7 H O T Y O G A : T H E F E R R A R I T H A T I S Y O U R M E T A B O L I S M 9 7
T H E H O T R E A L I T Y O F H O T Y O G A
Activity or fitness trackers are devices or applications commonly used by some hot yoga
practitioners as a means to monitor and estimate the amount of calories burned, and can
accurately count distanced walked or jogged, and/or in some cases monitor target heart
rate. Fitbit, Garmin, Apple, Xiaomi, and Smasung are among the popular activity tracker
manufacturers on the market. Therefore if you’d prefer a more objective mechanism to
track your progress from a calorie counting standpoint, I would highly recommend utilizing
an activity tracker during your hot yoga session.
The idea of accurately measuring and assessing calories burned during hot yoga with
activity trackers should be done so with an understanding of an acceptable overall margin
of error of +/-10%. Discussions regarding weight loss and trimming your waistline through
hot yoga, however factual it is, should be discussed with the utmost care. The sensitive
topic of weight loss should be guided by scientific, medical and nutritional research
pointing the way as it currently does.
C H A P T E R 7 H O T Y O G A : T H E F E R R A R I T H A T I S Y O U R M E T A B O L I S M 9 8
T H E H O T R E A L I T Y O F H O T Y O G A
Chapter 8 The Mind-Gut & Influencing Healthy
Digestion
“Happiness: a good bank account, a good cook, and good
digestion.” ~ Jean-Jacques Rousseau
C H A P T E R 8 T H E M I N D - G U T & I N F L U E N C I N G H E A L T H Y D I G E S T I O N 9 9
T H E H O T R E A L I T Y O F H O T Y O G A
If our gut could talk, what would it tell us? The unknown world of our body’s mechanism of
digestion and delivery of essential nutrients, minerals, amino acids and vitamins for proper
function throughout our body’s interconnected system is a foreign concept to many of us.
It was the Greek physician Hippocrates II who famously quoted “All disease begins in the
gut”. The gut is as alien to us as the unexplored depths of the Arctic Ocean. This subject,
until recently, has unquestionably been taken for granted by many of us with a normal
functioning digestive system. In addition, it has understandably been overlooked beyond
our ingestion of food and drink or feeling full after a satisfying meal.
Even more so is our lack of understanding of the role that our gut microbiome plays. The
human gut microbiome and its role in both health and disease have been extensively
researched. As a result, our gut microbiome is firmly established in its involvement in
human metabolism, nutrition, physiology, and immune function. The gut microbiome is the
totality of microorganisms, bacteria, viruses, protozoa and fungi. Their collective genetic
materials are present in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) as defined by molecular biologist
and Nobel Laureate Joshua Lederberg, establishing the gut microbiota as a community of
micro-organisms.
Trillions of these microorganisms/bacteria, also known as microbes for short exist mainly
inside your intestines and on your skin. More on the skin in will be discussed in Chapter 9.
While bacterium colonizes the human body, including the oral cavity, placenta, vagina, skin,
and (GIT), the majority of bacteria reside within the (GIT) housed within the colon.
Although some bacteria are associated with disease, others are found to be extremely
important for our immune system, heart, weight, and many other aspects of our health.
C H A P T E R 8 T H E M I N D - G U T & I N F L U E N C I N G H E A L T H Y D I G E S T I O N 1 0 0
The words you are searching are inside this book. To get more targeted content, please make full-text search by clicking here.
Discover the best professional documents and content resources in AnyFlip Document Base.
Search