Effect of Pranayama on Football Players

Abstract The purpose of this research was to examine the influence of pranayama exercises on the breath-holding capacity of football players, an ability closely tied to endurance and on-field performance. The study involved thirty male soccer players aged 18 to 25 years, all selected from Manipur University in Imphal, Manipur, who had participated in national-level competitions. These athletes were randomly assigned to two equal groups: an experimental group of fifteen players and a control group of fifteen players. Before the intervention, both groups underwent baseline testing using the nostril-clip method to measure their breath-holding capacity. Following this initial assessment, the experimental group engaged in a structured and supervised pranayama training program, while the control group continued their usual routines without any special exercise intervention. The pranayama sessions were conducted over a six-week period, five days a week from Monday to Friday, with each session lasting sixty minutes. After completing the training program, both groups were re-evaluated to observe any changes in their breath-holding performance. The collected pre- and post-test data were analyzed using paired t-tests and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) to determine whether the pranayama exercises produced significant improvements. The findings aimed to provide deeper insight into how systematic breathing practices can support athletic conditioning and respiratory efficiency in competitive football players