Researchers at Chia-Yi Christian Hospital in Taiwan found that a single bout of tai chi has a significant positive effect on blood adiponectin, a hormone what modulates a number of metabolic processes including glucose regulation and plays a role in the suppression of the metabolic derangements that may result in type 2 diabetes, obesity, atherosclerosis, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and which are independent risk factors for metabolic syndrome. Adiponectin levels can also effect weight loss.

About Adiponectin

The study was based on 26 individuals with an average age of 60 who had at least one cardiovascular risk factor and who had practiced Yang style tai chi for an average of two years but at least three months. The study consisted of a single group with the exercise session compared to a resting while seated session separated by one week. Blood samples were collected before and after a 60 minute tai chi practice and before and after sitting for 60 minutes. The researchers found that after a single bout of tai chi practice there was a significant positive effect on blood adiponectin concentrations. The authors suggest that a mechanism for the observed increase in adiponectin after tai chi could be due to a decrease in sympathetic nervous system activity and/or enhanced vagal modulation.

Abstract

While this study focused on a single bout of tai chi, another recent study found that a 12 week tai chi program showed several beneficial changes on several indicators of metabolic syndrome including BMI and insulin resistance.

See: A preliminary study of the effects of Tai Chi and Qigong medical exercise on indicators of metabolic syndrome, glycaemic control, health-related quality of life, and psychological health in adults with elevated blood glucose.

The findings are particularly significant as many other studies of a single bout of exercise have failed to find a significant positive effect on adiponectin and some have shown a decrease in levels. Of seven studies of identified in The Effects of Exercise on Adiponectin: A Systematic Review published in the journal Obesity in 2008, only two studies found a positive effect of acute exercise on blood adiponectin. One of the studies that showed a positive effect involved seven trained runners after ½ an hour of running. The other study with a positive effect was among 10 elite rowers. Another study of rowers by the same authors found a positive effect only among the rowers who went on to be selected for the national team while significant reductions in adiponectin levels were observed in the athletes who were not selected for the team. There were four trials involving cycling, three of which had non-statistically significant findings and one of which found a significant reduction in blood adiponectin levels.

See: A preliminary study of the effects of Tai Chi and Qigong medical exercise on indicators of metabolic syndrome, glycaemic control, health-related quality of life, and psychological health in adults with elevated blood glucose.