Preliminary validation of an exercise program suitable for pregnant women with abnormal glucose metabolism: inhibitory effects of Tai Chi Yuttari-exercise on plasma glucose elevation.
Sachina Yamamoto, Kyoko Kagawa, Naohi Hori and 3 others
PMID 28174463WHAT IT FOUND
In 12 young nonpregnant women wearing a weighted backpack, seated Tai Chi in a 60-minute session after a sugary meal lowered plasma glucose by 1.66 mg/dl, while resting raised it by 9.42 mg/dl.
This is a preliminary signal, not evidence for pregnant patients.
Key findings
01After a test meal containing 75 g of sugar, the six women who performed seated Tai Chi with a weighted backpack showed a mean plasma glucose change of -1.66 mg/dl, compared with +9.42 mg/dl in the six women who rested (p<0.05).
02During the exercise, the intervention group rated perceived intensity at a mean Borg Scale score of 11.1 ± 0.9 and could maintain conversation.
03The authors state that the simulated pregnancy model had poor reliability and that results should be interpreted with caution before adapting them to pregnant women with abnormal glucose metabolism.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
Only 12 participants were studied, all healthy 18- to 19-year-old females who were not pregnant. The pregnancy model was a backpack worn by nonpregnant women, and the authors state its reliability was poor. The participants did not have abnormal glucose metabolism, and the outcome was an acute plasma glucose response after a sugary meal, not maternal or fetal outcomes. The sample size is very small, and the reported control-group change differs between the text (+9.42 mg/dl) and Table 1 (+7.6 mg/dl). No long-term adherence, insulin sensitivity, or clinical pregnancy outcomes were reported.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that Tai Chi Yuttari-exercise is safe or effective for pregnant women with abnormal glucose metabolism. The study tested 12 healthy nonpregnant women using a weighted backpack model, and the authors explicitly say the pregnancy model had poor reliability and results need caution before adapting them to pregnant women.