Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41973865›Full record

Trial reportJMIR formative research2026

Acute Physiological and Emotional Responses to a Brief 24-Minute Yoga Session: Randomized Exploratory Pilot Study With Waitlist Comparison.

Ying Zhou, Ping Chen, Yuma Morisaki, Naoko Yamada, Risa Kuwahara, Atsuro Tsutsumi, Akihiro Nomura

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in JMIR formative research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Ying ZhouFaculty of Health Sciences, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan.ORCID 0009-0004-6930-3189
Ping ChenFrontier Institute of Tourism Sciences, Kanazawa University, Nu 7, Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa, 9201192, Japan, 81 76-265-2259.ORCID 0009-0007-2319-8602
Yuma MorisakiFrontier Institute of Tourism Sciences, Kanazawa University, Nu 7, Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa, 9201192, Japan, 81 76-265-2259.ORCID 0000-0002-5203-9316
Naoko YamadaFrontier Institute of Tourism Sciences, Kanazawa University, Nu 7, Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa, 9201192, Japan, 81 76-265-2259.ORCID 0000-0003-3833-3110
Risa KuwaharaFrontier Institute of Tourism Sciences, Kanazawa University, Nu 7, Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa, 9201192, Japan, 81 76-265-2259.ORCID 0009-0000-7492-5733
Atsuro TsutsumiFrontier Institute of Tourism Sciences, Kanazawa University, Nu 7, Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa, 9201192, Japan, 81 76-265-2259.ORCID 0000-0002-2337-0990
Akihiro NomuraFrontier Institute of Tourism Sciences, Kanazawa University, Nu 7, Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa, 9201192, Japan, 81 76-265-2259.ORCID 0000-0001-6647-8240

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Wellness tourism increasingly incorporates short yoga sessions for stress management, yet evidence on their immediate physiological and emotional responses remains limited. Objective: This exploratory pilot study aimed to generate preliminary data on acute physiological and emotional responses to a single 24-minute yoga session (breathing, postures, and meditation) compared with quiet sitting in novice practitioners. Methods: In this single-center, randomized waitlist-controlled exploratory pilot study (1:1 allocation), 19 university-affiliated adults with self-reported daily stress and no prior guided yoga experience were allocated to an immediate 24-minute yoga session (n=10) or quiet sitting (n=9). The primary outcome was change in salivary cortisol from baseline to postintervention. Secondary outcomes included salivary alpha-amylase, heart rate (Apple Watch [Apple Inc], subset n=12), and real-time emotional indices (stress, calmness, and concentration) measured by a commercial single-channel electroencephalogram (EEG) device (Kansei Analyzer [Dentsu ScienceJAM], subset n=8). Data were analyzed using change scores relative to the breathing phase, with between-group comparison performed by independent t tests or multivariable linear regression adjusted for age, sex, and baseline values as appropriate. Results: No significant between-group differences were observed for salivary cortisol or alpha-amylase. In the yoga group, heart rate increased during postures and remained mildly elevated during meditation relative to the breathing phase, consistent with mild physical exertion. Exploratory individual EEG analyses suggested reduced stress and increased concentration during breathing and meditation phases in some participants. Conclusions: In this small exploratory pilot study, a single 24-minute yoga session did not significantly alter salivary stress biomarkers at the group level. However, it induced measurable cardiovascular activation and heterogeneous EEG-derived emotional responses. These hypothesis-generating findings demonstrate marked interindividual variability, suggesting the need for larger validation studies with improved control conditions.

Indexed as

EmotionsStress, PsychologicalYogaAdultFemaleHeart RateHumansHydrocortisoneMaleMiddle AgedPilot ProjectsSalivaWaiting ListsHydrocortisoneelectroencephalographyexploratory pilot studyheart ratesalivary cortisolwearableswellness tourismyoga

Identifiers

PMID41973865
PMCPMC13075637

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.