A Pilot Study of Qigong Practice and Upper Respiratory Illness in Elite Swimmers

Abstract

Upper respiratory tract infections (URIs) are a common complaint in competitive swimmers and can adversely affect performance. No intervention has yet been shown to reduce URI incidence in intensively trained athletes. The University of Virginia varsity swim team received three weeks of training in qigong for the purpose of reducing stress and improving health. Our primary objective was to assess the relationship between qigong practice and symptoms of URI during a time when swimmers would be at high URI risk. Secondary objectives were to assess degree of compliance with a qigong practice regimen, to evaluate differences between qigong practitioners and non-practitioners, and to determine the response-rate and reliability of a newly developed internet-based, self-report survey. The design was observational, cross-sectional, and prospective. Weekly data on cold and flu symptoms, concurrent health problems and medication use, and qigong practice were gathered for seven weeks. Retrospective information on health and qigong training response was also collected. Participants were 27 of the 55 members of the University of Virginia Swim Team in the Virginia Athletic Department. Main outcomes were measures of aggregated cold/flu symptoms and Qigong practice. Survey completion was 100%, with no missing data, and reliability of the instrument was acceptable. Cold and flu symptoms showed a significant non-linear association with frequency of qigong practice (R(2) = 0.33, p < 0.01), with a strong, inverse relationship between practice frequency and symptom scores in swimmers who practised qigong at least once per week (R(2) = 0.70, p < 0.01). Qigong practitioners did not differ from non-practitioners in demographic or lifestyle characteristics, medical history, supplement or medication use, or belief in qigong. These preliminary findings suggest that qigong practice may be protective against URIs among elite swimmers who practice at least once per week.

The Effect of Qigong Exercise on Immunity and Infections: A Systematic Review of Controlled Trials

“…Long term practice of qigong exercise may help to prevent illness or heal the body from diseases. Although the underlying mechanism for its health benefits is not yet well understood, there are increased reports of its effects on health (Ng and Tsang, 2009;Vincent et al, 2010;Wright et al, 2011). Basically, there are two categories of qigong: internal qigong and external qigong.…”

Assessment of Cardiovascular Parameters during Meditation with Mental Targeting in Varsity Swimmers

“…The estimates of the number of subjects needed to test our hypothesis were based on the experience about RE training in UVa swimmers [ 6 ] and a separate volunteer study conducted with the CT on volunteers previously taught RE (unpublished observations). From the first study the impression was that swimmers are well motivated to learn this meditation technique and that a majority of them continue to practice during the sports season.…”

“…Studies have reported URI incidences of 42–45% during training periods ranging from 4 to 12 weeks [ 1 – 3 ] while other studies showed an 8-week incidence of respiratory illness of 84% [ 4 ]. These ill effects can be thwarted by the practice of reflective exercise (RE, a westernized form of Qigong) [ 5 ] shown by a reduction of URIs in varsity swimmers who maintained practice [ 6 ]. The enhanced athletic performance associated with combinations of breathing, relaxation, meditation, guided imagery, and slow movement exercises supports the notion that these practices can enhance immunity [ 7 – 10 ].…”

The Benefits of Medical Qigong in Patients With Cancer: A Descriptive Pilot Study

“…MQ is practiced by all ages, ethnicities, and genders. Several studies have focused on older adults who routinely practice MQ Stenlund, Lindström, Granlund, & Burell, 2005) as well as young, college-aged athletes (Wright, Innes, Alton, Bovbjerg, & Owens, 2011).…”