Tai chi for overweight/obese adolescent and young women with polycystic ovary syndrome: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND: Tai Chi is a moderately intense exercise that dates back to ancient China. It has been reported that Tai Chi not only has beneficial effects on metabolic disorders, such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and obesity, but also has favorable effects on psychological well-being. Since these conditions are quite closely associated with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), we hypothesis that Tai Chi could be a potential treatment option for PCOS patients. We aim to determine the feasibility and effectiveness of Tai Chi on overweight/obese adolescent and young women with PCOS. METHODS: A total of 50 patients will be randomized into two arms: (1) Tai Chi or (2) self-monitored exercise. Both groups will exercise for 3 months. The primary hypothesis is that Tai Chi results in a significantly lower Body Mass Index (BMI) than self-monitored exercise. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the First Affiliated Hospital of Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine. DISCUSSION: This is the first study to determine the feasibility and effectiveness of Tai Chi in treating overweight/obese adolescent and young women with PCOS. The trial will provide evidence to assess the feasibility of a future multicenter, randomized controlled trial. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, ID: NCT02608554. Registered on 17 November 2015. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1186/s13063-018-2893-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.