Meditation: a modulator of the immune response to physical stress? A brief report.
OBJECTIVE
To test the hypothesis that stress reducing techniques such as meditation alter immune responses after strenous physical stress.


METHODS
The hypothesis was tested by studying six meditating and six non-meditating male runners in a concurrent, controlled design. After a period of six months with meditation for the experimental group, blood samples were taken immediately before and after a maximum oxygen uptake test (VO2max).


RESULTS
The increase in CD8+ T cells after VO2max was significantly less in the meditation group than in the control group (P = 0.04). The amount of CD2+ cells doubled after VO2max, mainly because of a rise in the CD8+ fraction.


CONCLUSIONS
Meditation may modify the suppressive influence of strenous physical stress on the immune system.
Solberg
E E
EE
Department of Medicine, Ullevål University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
Halvorsen
R
R
Sundgot-Borgen
J
J
Ingjer
F
F
Holen
A
A
D000328:Adult; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000097:blood; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D016827:CD8 Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019122:Meditation; D008875:Middle Aged; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000276:immunology; D005082:Physical Exertion / Q000502:physiology*; D012420:Running; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000276:immunology*
D015704:CD4 Antigens; D016827:CD8 Antigens