Taneja 2004.

Study characteristics
Methods	Study design: RCT Funding: Central Council for Research in Yoga and Naturopathy Published protocol/trial registration: no
Participants	Men with confirmed IBS‐D (Rome II criteria) Number randomised: 22 Age: mean 30.9 (SD 6.79) years % Female: 0% SES and ethnicity: 100% Indian Inclusion criteria Men aged 20–50 years Symptoms of diarrhoea in terms of increased frequency and consistency; i.e. frequency of stools > 3 per day Stools looser in consistency along with either of these symptoms – urgency, mucoid stools, evidence of straining and lumpy stools Symptoms present for > 3 months Patients were screened for other gastroenterological problems on the basis of findings in barium enema, endoscopy, sigmoidoscopy, ultrasound and haematological profile Exclusion criteria History of systemic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, any major psychiatric problem, chronic alcoholism and smoking Chronic use of drugs for major psychiatric illnesses (known to alter the autonomic functions and gut motility) Recruitment: gastroenterology clinics of All India Institute of Medical Sciences and Safdarjung Hospital Recruitment rate: not reported Region: New Delhi, India
Interventions	Number of experimental conditions: 2; exercise intervention and pharmacological intervention comparator Number of participants (analysed): intervention: 9; comparator: 12 Description of exercise intervention: participants taught and advised to practice Surya Nadi pranayama (right‐nostril breathing) and a set of 12 asanas (Vajrasana, Shashankasana in 2 variations, Ushtrasana, Marjariasana, Bhujangasana, Padhastasana, Dhanurasana, Trikonasana in 2 variations, Pawanmuktasana, and Paschimottanasana) twice per day, morning and evening for 2 months. Duration: 8 weeks Number of contacts: 2: month 1 and 2 Setting: home Modality: unsupervised Interventionist: not reported Integrity: not reported Date of study: not reported Description of comparator: loperamide 2–6 mg/day
Outcomes	Autonomic symptoms score – 10 symptoms scored 0 or 1 (absent/present) and summed on a 0–10 scale Bowel symptoms – Talley's Bowel Disease Questionnaire including stool consistency and nature Autonomic function testing – continuous electrogastrography, respiration, surface electrogastrography Anxiety evaluation – Spielberger State and Trait Anxiety Inventory Gastric motility evaluation – surface electrogastrography Physical flexibility – distance (in centimetres) between fixed landmarks Primary and secondary outcomes not specified Outcome relating to reported adverse events: not reported Outcome assessment time points: 8 weeks – end of intervention Preplanned subgroup analyses: not reported Unplanned subgroup analyses: not reported Lost to follow‐up: 1 Analysis: per‐protocol
Notes	No specific MCID stated for any of the measured outcomes.
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias)	Unclear risk	Insufficient information.
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	Unclear risk	Insufficient information.
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) All outcomes	High risk	Group allocation was not blinded to participants, clinicians or researchers. However, it was not possible to blind participants and personnel for this intervention.
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) All outcomes	Unclear risk	Insufficient information as to how questionnaire was administered or data were analysed.
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes	Low risk	Only 1 dropout in the control arm; however, no ITT analysis performed.
Selective reporting (reporting bias)	Unclear risk	No protocol or trial registration to determine whether outcomes reported were preplanned.
Other bias	Unclear risk	Did not specify baseline characteristics of each group.

BAQ: Body Awareness Questionnaire; BRS: Body Responsiveness Scale; CPSS: Cohen Perceived Stress Scale; CSI‐18: Child Somatization Inventory‐18; GI: gastrointestinal; HADS: Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale; IBS: irritable bowel syndrome; IBS‐C: constipation‐predominant irritable bowel syndrome; IBS‐D: diarrhoea‐predominant irritable bowel syndrome; IBS‐M: irritable bowel syndrome with mixed episodes of diarrhoea or constipation; IBS‐QOL: Irritable Bowel Syndrome Quality Of Life; IBS‐SSS: Irritable Bowel Syndrome Severity Scoring System; IL: interleukin; ITT: intention to treat; MCID: minimal clinically important difference; NRS: Numeric Rating Scale; PSQ: Perceived Stress Questionnaire; RCT: randomised controlled trial; SD: standard deviation; SES: socioeconomic status; SF‐36: 36‐item Short Form; TNF: tumour necrosis factor; VO_2max: maximal oxygen consumption.