Effectiveness of water-based Liuzijue exercise on respiratory muscle strength and peripheral skeletal muscle function in patients with COPD

Abstract

ObjectsThe purpose of this study was to quantitatively assess the effects of water-based Liuzijue exercise on patients with COPD and compare it with land-based Liuzijue exercise.Materials and methodsParticipants were randomly allocated to one of three groups: the water-based Liuzijue exercise group (WG), the land-based Liuzijue exercise group (LG), and the control group (CG). CG participants accepted no exercise intervention, while training groups performed Liuzijue exercise according to Health Qigong Liuzijue (People’s Republic of China) in different environments for 60-min sessions twice a week for 3 months.ResultsOf the 50 patients enrolled, 45 (90%) completed the 3-month intervention. The CG showed decreased expiratory muscle strength, extensor and flexor endurance ratio (ER) of the elbow joints and flexor peak torque (PT), total work (TW), and ER of the knee joints (p<0.05). Both training groups showed improved respiratory muscle strength, which differed from the CG (p<0.001). In addition, extensor and flexor TW of the elbow joints in the training groups were increased (p<0.01), and the WG differed from the CG in extensor TW and ER and flexor TW (p<0.01), while the LG differed from the CG in flexor TW and extensor ER (p<0.05). PT, PT/body weight (BW), and TW in the knee joint extensor in the training groups were increased as well (PT and PT/BW: p<0.05, TW: p<0.01), and the WG differed from the CG in terms of knee joints outcomes, while the LG differed from the CG in flexor TW only (p<0.05).ConclusionWater-based Liuzijue exercise has beneficial effects on COPD patients’ respiratory muscle strength and peripheral skeletal muscle function, and additional benefits may exist in endurance of upper limbs and strength and endurance of lower limbs when compared with land-based Liuzijue exercise.

Muscle metabolomics analysis reveals potential biomarkers of exercise‑dependent improvement of the diaphragm function in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

“…considering that exercise intervention is a complex form of stimulation, non-target processing in metabolomics could be used to screen a wide range of different metabolites prior and subsequent to exercise intervention. Based on existing data (22) and our previous study (23), underwater exercise was considered to be a more suitable exercise mode for patients with COPD compared with land activities. Previously, long-term cigarette smoke exposure (CSE) was considered to be a method to establish a COPD model with respiratory muscle dysfunction (24)(25)(26), and it caused systemic changes in rats, including oxidative stress (27) and systemic inflammation (28), and also induced a dysregulation of skeletal muscle protein synthesis and decomposition, resulting in cOPd muscle dysfunction (29).…”

Effectiveness of LiuZiJue Qigong versus traditional core stability training for poststroke patients complicated with abnormal trunk postural control: study protocol for a single-center randomized controlled trial

“…xi" with breathing and pronunciation. These exercises significantly enhance the function of the liver, heart, spleen, lungs, kidneys, and trifocal organs, respectively, and LQG helps to balance the energy and function of the internal organs [14,15]. The method includes breathing in through the nose and exhaling with enunciation of one of the six different voices and breathing sound [16].…”

Effectiveness of Liu Zi Jue Qigong versus traditional core stability training for patients with post-stroke complicated with abnormal trunk postural control: a study protocol for a single-center randomized controlled trial

“…LQG perform the actions of inhaling and exhaling through different mouth patterns to regulate and control the rise and fall of the breath in the body, and complete the practice of "xu, he, hu, si, cui, xi" with breathing and pronunciation. These exercises significantly enhance the function of the liver, heart, spleen, lungs, kidneys and trifocal organs respectively, and LQG helps to balance the energy and function of the internal organs [15,16]. The method is to through six different sounds when inhaling and breathing through the nose to match the mouth shape and body movements, which are controlled from top to bottom or vice versa.…”