The effects of Baduanjin exercise on the psychological condition and heart rate variability of sports-disadvantaged college students: A randomised trial

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of a 16-week Baduanjin exercise programme on the psychological status and heart rate variability (HRV) of college students in a sports-disadvantaged group, offering a theoretical basis for the potential of Baduanjin exercise to improve mental health. TRIAL DESIGN: This prospective study enrolled 93 college students from Wuyi University, exempt from the National Standards for Students' Physical Health due to illness or disability. The participants were divided into a control group (n = 47) and an experimental group (n = 46). Over 16 weeks, the experimental group engaged in the Baduanjin exercise, whereas the control group did not participate in regular physical training. METHODS: We assessed the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R, the primary outcome) scores and HRV (time domain and frequency domain indices, the secondary outcomes) of all participants both before and after the 16-week programme. RESULTS: (1) Post-16 weeks of Baduanjin exercise, a statistically significant difference was observed in the SCL-90-R scores between the control and experimental groups (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). Notably, the scores for interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, psychoticism, and other factors (predominantly relating to sleep and diet) were significantly lower in the experimental group (t = 4.234, 2.616, 3.450, 2.226, 3.980, P < 0.01, P < 0.05). (2) Following the exercise regimen, the experimental group showed a substantial decrease in heart rate, low-frequency (LF) power, and the LF/high-frequency ratio (LF/HF ratio), and a significant increase in HF compared with the control group (t = 2.358, 4.528, - 2.595, P < 0.05 P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Sixteen weeks of Baduanjin exercise may substantially enhance HRV, potentially aiding in balancing sympathetic-vagal nerve activity and thus contributing to the regulation of mental health.