Qigong is a traditional form of Chinese relaxation exercise used in self-managed health care. It involves performing slow body movements with controlled synchronized breathing and meditation. Research indicates that relaxation training has positive effects on blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes, according to a study published in the January 2002 issue of "Diabetes Care." With its relaxation aspects, qigong shows potential as a form of exercise particularly beneficial for blood sugar regulation.
Relaxation and Diabetes
One study finding relaxation as beneficial for type 2 diabetes was published in "Diabetes Care" in 1983. Twelve patients with type 2 diabetes stayed in a clinical research ward under identical conditions for five days. Six received progressive relaxation training. At the end of the study time, relaxation training was associated with significant improvements in glucose tolerance.
Considerations
Unfortunately, high-quality research on qigong and its effect on type 2 diabetes is lacking, explains a review of studies appearing in the August 2009 issue of "Complementary Therapies in Medicine." Most of research involves uncontrolled observational studies, and the randomized controlled trials were of poor quality. Results do generally find favorable effects of qigong on plasma glucose and insulin sensitivity, but the authors conclude evidence is insufficient to recommend qigong as an effective therapy for type 2 diabetes.
Relaxation Response
The January 2002 "Diabetes Care" study reported on 26 participants with type 2 diabetes who participated in 2-hour weekly training sessions in qigong for four months, and also were to be practicing qigong at home. The results indicated that qigong improves glucose metabolism through a relaxation response. Obese patients experienced better improvements than non-obese participants.
Potential
Research published in the December 29, 2009 issue of "Diabetes Care" aimed to provide a qigong study of more rigorous quality. It compared the effects of qigong with progressive resistance-training exercise or standard care on blood sugar control in people with type 2 diabetes. All participants continued taking their usual oral diabetes medicine during the study and were asked to maintain their usual diet. For 12 weeks, exercise participants either attended qigong or resistance- training sessions 1 hour per week and practiced at home for 30 minutes twice per week. The qigong group experienced significant drops in plasma glucose levels, and all participants in this group experienced a decrease in fasting glucose by the end of the study. The resistance training group and the control group, on the other hand, both experienced increased plasma glucose levels. Qigong also produced trends toward improved insulin resistance.
References
- Diabetes Care January 2002: The Effect of Qi-Gong Relaxation Exercise on the Control of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
- PubMed: Qigong for Type 2 Diabetes Care
- Diabetes Care December 29, 2009: Effects of Qigong on Glucose Control in Type 2 Diabetes
- Diabetes Care March 1983: The Effects of Relaxations on Glucose Tolerance in Non-Insulin-Dependent Diabetes
