article_snippet.sent: Devotees endure searing heat, holding Devotees bodies in challenging poses leaving Devotees dripping with sweat but exhilarated at the culmination of a tough workout.
article_snippet.sent: Bikram yoga improves mindfulness, flexibility, strength, muscle tone and general fitness, advocates boast.
article_snippet.sent: But a new study has warned the practise, which involves performing 26 poses, can raise a person's body temperature and heart rate to dangerous levels.
article_snippet.sent: Scientists at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse have warned that Bikram yoga, which involves 26 poses performed in a room heated to 40°C (105°F), raises the risk of participants suffering heat stroke .
article_snippet.sent: A team of researchers at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse has found hot yoga can place pressure cause a person's heart rate to fluctuate and Bikram yoga, which involves 26 poses performed in a room heated to 40°C (105°F), raises the risk of participants suffering heat stroke core body temperature to reach potentially dangerous levels.
article_snippet.sent: All regularly practised Bikram yoga and as such were familiar with the 26 standard poses.
article_snippet.sent: Dr Quandt said while the excessive perspiration experienced by people doing Bikram yoga is often cited as a benefit because the excessive perspiration experienced by people doing Bikram yoga is often cited as a benefit releases toxins, the results of the new study show this sweating was insufficient to cool down the body.
article_snippet.sent: Dr Quandt advises three ways to improve the safety of Bikram yoga classes - duration, temperature and hydration.
article_snippet.sent: Furthermore, hydration lies at the heart of the controversy surrounding Bikram yoga, Dr Quandt said.
article_snippet.sent: Some Bikram enthusiasts believe that by minimising Some Bikram enthusiasts water intake Some Bikram enthusiasts augment the mindful aspects of the practise, with fewer water breaks decreasing the potential for mental distraction.
article_snippet.sent: Exercise leaders must actively encourage hydration, particularly when classes take place in extreme environments like those seen in Bikram yoga classes.'
article_snippet.sent: He said Bikram yoga teachers must be familiar with essential science principles surrounding exercise, including a clear understanding of the physiology of the thermo-regulation. '
article_snippet.sent: Dr Bryant said: 'Bikram teachers should recognise that participants' thermoregulatory systems will be challenged in this environment. '
article_snippet.sent: The researchers concluded: 'Exercising in hot and humid environments - whether inside a studio while practising Bikram yoga, or outside running during the warm months - can place participants at risk for heat-related illness, especially if those individuals do not adequately hydrate before, during and after exercise. '
article_snippet.sent: Given the popularity of Bikram yoga and its proven benefits, its is likely here to stay,' said Dr Bryant. '
highlights_snippet.sent: Bikram yoga involves 26 poses performed in a room heated to 40°C (105°F)
  Typical sessions last 90 minutes and advocates say it improves mindfulness, flexibility, strength, muscle tone and general fitness .
  