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.
- PMID:
- 21598415
- [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
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