In an attempt to simplify the conjoint exercise for this study, each attribute was assigned three levels (see Additional file 1).
Specifically, if they achieved good or good* in our original scoring exercise 4 and in both the 11×11 scoring exercises conducted for this study, they were considered 'informative items' and suitable for further analysis.
The Qigong exercise selected for this study was the "White Ball" standing exercise according to the Heidelberg Model of TCM as described in detail elsewhere [ 10].
Low technology exercise equipment for this study was kindly donated by Performance Health/Hygenics Corporation.
Although the level of exercise selected for this study was sufficient to cause an increase in muscle area at the tibial midshaft, we did not measure muscle mass or strength.
A landscaping exercise conducted for this study found a total of 78 health policy analysis institutes in low- and middle-income countries (of which 38 were in Asia, 21 in Africa, 8 in Latin America, 8 in Europe and the Former Soviet Union and 3 in the Middle East).
Twenty nine healthy young Caucasian men (21.5 ± 2.7 y, body mass (BM) 80.2 ± 12.6 kg, body height (BH) 181.7 ± 7.2 cm, body mass index (BMI) 24.2 ± 3.5 kg/m), who did not take part in any formal resistance exercise regime for 6 months prior to starting a 6-week exercise protocol, volunteered for this study.
A test with an unaltered exercise intensity was chosen for this study because of the common use of beta blockers and/or anti-depressants in FM, which may affect heart rate, and since there is a known difficulty in FM in increasing the resistance on an ergometer bicycle [ 16].
Participants with breathlessness due to chronic lung disease tolerated the isometric exercise and scanning procedures for this study.
In addition, an educational manual developed by our exercise trainers, who are trained exercise physiologists, was created specifically for this study.
