Background: Pulmonary function plays an important role in meeting the increased ventilatory demands of athletic performance. Yogic breathing practices may support respiratory muscle function and ventilatory efficiency; however, evidence regarding the specific effects of Nadisuddhi Kumbhaka among young adult athletes remains limited. This study examined the effects of Nadisuddhi Kumbhaka on selected pulmonary function parameters in young adult athletes.

Methodology: A quantitative experimental study using a two-arm randomized controlled trial design was conducted with 100 healthy athletes aged 18–30 years. Participants were randomly allocated to an experimental group (n = 50) and a control group (n = 50). The experimental group practiced supervised Nadisuddhi Kumbhaka for 10 minutes per session over 30 sessions across 35 days, while the control group continued their usual training routine. Pulmonary function was assessed before and after the intervention using forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV₁), peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR), and maximum voluntary ventilation (MVV). Data were analysed using paired-samples and independent-samples t-tests, with statistical significance set at p < .05.

Results: The experimental group demonstrated significant improvements in FVC, FEV₁, PEFR, and MVV (all p < .001). In contrast, the control group showed no significant changes in FVC, FEV₁, or PEFR, although MVV showed a small but significant increase (p = .003). Between-group comparisons of change scores indicated significantly greater improvements in all four parameters in the experimental group (p < .001).

Conclusion: The findings suggest that Nadisuddhi Kumbhaka may be a useful adjunct to conventional athletic training for improving selected pulmonary function parameters. Further studies incorporating active control groups and follow-up assessments are required to confirm these findings and determine the long-term effects of the practice.