Research Article
Effects of Qigong Therapy on the Anaerobic Threshold in
Patients with Stable Coronary Artery Disease: A Randomized
Controlled Trial
Fengrun Zhao ,
1
Chen Liang,
2
Christopher John Zaslawski,
3
and Zhenyu Cao
1
1
College of Acupuncture and Massage, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, China
2
Institute of Sports Medicine, General Administration of Sport of China, Beijing 100061, China
3
University of Technology, Sydney 2007, Australia
Correspondence should be addressed to Zhenyu Cao; cao@njucm.edu.cn
Received 29 May 2022; Revised 16 August 2022; Accepted 20 August 2022; Published 14 September 2022
Academic Editor: Rajeev K. Singla
Copyright © 2022 Fengrun Zhao et al. is is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License,
which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Objective. is study aims to identify whether Qigong (QG) rehabilitation therapy can significantly improve the cardiac function
of patients with stable coronary artery disease (SCAD) compared with routine therapy. us, a randomized controlled trial was
conducted to evaluate the curative effects of a three-month QG rehabilitation therapy on cardiac rehabilitation. Patients and
Methods. In this trial, a total of 68 patients with SCAD were randomly divided into the QG group (34 patients) and the control
(CON) group (34 patients). Patients in the CON group received routine cardiologic medication without any special intervention.
Based on the treatment in the CON group, patients in the QG group were provided additionally with a 12-week traditional
Chinese medicine (TCM) cardiac rehabilitation QG exercise training program. e outcomes of these patients were assessed at
baseline and after 12 weeks of intervention through the treadmill (anaerobic threshold (AT)) test. Results. After 12 weeks of
intervention, the AT, volume of oxygen (VO2), oxygen uptake/kilogram (VO2/kg), metabolic equivalents (METS), and oxygen
pulse (VO2/HR) of patients in the QG group were significantly higher than those of patients in the CON group (P < 0.05).
Conclusion. QG therapy can achieve certain curative effects and safety for patients with SCAD. is trial is registered with
Clinicaltrials.gov identifier (ChiCTR1800015823).
1. Introduction
Exercise training intervention can reduce the overall mor-
tality of patients with heart diseases. Monitored exercise
training is also an important component of a comprehensive
cardiac rehabilitation plan [1, 2]. e potential car-
dioprotective effect of regular sports has been confirmed by
clinical evidence, which shows that long-term regular aer-
obic endurance training can increase the risk factors of
cardiovascular diseases [3]. e QG therapy training is
similar to the aerobic training, but it has some distinct
characteristics. For instance, it can regulate the body,
breathing, and psychology of individuals who conduct this
training program [4]. QG exercise prescription refers to that
rehabilitation where doctors or physiotherapists prescribe
the type, intensity, time, and frequency of QG exercise in the
form of prescription, put forward matters needing attention
in the QG exercise, and make patients achieve rehabilitation
through regular training. However, there is not enough
evidence to support the effectiveness and safety of QG
therapy in cardiac rehabilitation.
e anaerobic threshold (AT) refers to the level of ox-
ygen uptake during exercise in a cardiopulmonary exercise
test. Beyond this level, anaerobic metabolism will supple-
ment aerobic metabolism to produce energy. e higher the
AT is, the stronger the aerobic function is. According to
previous studies, moderate-intensity aerobic exercise
training can improve the AT of patients with heart diseases,
which provides a strong basis for the formulation of clinical
cardiac rehabilitation exercise treatment plans [5]. However,
Hindawi
Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Volume 2022, Article ID 5690569, 8 pages
https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/5690569