An In-depth Analysis of Multisensory Reaction Time Disparities between Yogic and Non-Yogic Practitioners

Abstract

Background. Auditory and visual reaction time refers to the duration between the introduction of a sound or light and the onset of a response. It is an important aspect of human behaviour, influencing performance in various activities ranging from daily tasks to sports and emergency situations. Objectives. The purpose of this study was to investigate reaction time (auditory and visual) as a component of skill-related fitness between male college students practicing yoga and those who do not. Materials and methods. A total of forty male college-going students (N = 40) were randomly selected to participate in this study. Out of the total, twenty participants (n = 20) were dedicated yoga practitioners actively involved in district and state-level yoga competitions. The remaining twenty individuals (n = 20) followed a sedentary lifestyle and were not involved in yoga practices. The subjectsʼ ages ranged from 17 to 25 years, encompassing a cohort of young adults. The data pertaining to visual reaction time (VRT) and auditory reaction time (ART) was collected using an audio-visual reaction timer. Each participant performed the task thrice, and the mean score was used to indicate the experimental reaction time in milliseconds (ms). Descriptive statistics and the independent samples t-test were subsequently conducted to evaluate the significance level, with a predetermined threshold set at p < 0.05. Results. The results showed that the comparison between VRT and ART of yoga and non-yoga practitioners revealed that for yoga practitioners, t(38) = 2.91, and p < .006, whereas for non-yoga practitioners, t(38) = 3.55, and p < .001. Regarding VRT between yogic and non-yogic practitioners, t(38) = 1.99, and p > .054, and for ART between yogic and non-yogic practitioners, t(38) = 2.12, and p < .041. Conclusions. The findings suggest that both yogic and non-yogic practitioners demonstrated significantly lower level of ART compared to VRT. Further results indicate that hand speed in terms of VRT is nearly identical between yogic and non-yogic practitioners, but the ART of yogic practitioners was observed to be faster than that of non-yogic practitioners. Yoga has been associated with various physical and mental health benefits, and studies suggest that it may have a positive impact on reaction times.