Health Studies
The Effect of Tai Chi Training on Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Healthy Adults
Currently, the increasing data from clinical trials and exercise intervention studies found that Tai Chi (TC) exercise associated with the improvement of Cardiorespiratory Fitness (CRF) in both healthy people and patients with chronic diseases. For example, some studies indicated that TC training with low to moderate intensity is of great positive importance on outcomes of CRF including the oxygen uptake, O2 pulse, ventilatory efficiency, lung function, blood pressure, aerobic endurance and exercise capacity. The results from a meta-analysis and its update suggested that Tai Chi might be effective in improving the aerobic capacity of CRF outcomes among sedentary adults with over 55 years old, whereas another previous systematic review found no significant differences. Furthermore those previous review or meta-analysis did not involve in other outcomes of CRF. Therefore the convincing evidence of Tai Chi on improving CRF in the general healthy population or patients with chronic diseases was yet unclear. To our knowledge, no systematic reviews have evaluated the effect of Tai Chi exercise on the outcomes of CRF in healthy adults. We therefore designed this systematic review to investigate the effectiveness and safety of Tai Chi exercise on the outcomes of CRF in healthy adults.
Abstract:
Objectives:
To systematically assess the effectiveness of Tai Chi on cardiorespiratory fitness in healthy adults.
Methods:
Seven electronic databases were searched from their inception to October 2013. The controlled trails including randomized controlled trial (RCT), non-randomized controlled trial (NRCT), self-controlled trial (SCT), and cohort study (CS) testing Tai Chi exercise against non-intervention control conditions in healthy adults that assessed any type cardiorespiratory fitness outcome measures were considered. Two reviewers independently performed the selection of the studies according to predefined criteria. The risk of bias was assessed using Cochrane criteria. RevMan 5.2 software was applied for data analysis.
Participants:
1,868 participants within twenty studies.
Results:
The results of systematic review showed that Tai Chi exercise had positive effect on majority outcomes of cardio function (Blood pressure: n = 536, SPB SMD = -0.93, 95% CI -1.30 to -0.56, P < 0.00001; DBP SMD = -0.54, 95% CI -0.90 to -0.18, P < 0.00001; heart rate at quiet condition: n = 986, SMD = -0.72, 95% CI -1.27 to -0.18, P = 0.010; stroke volume: n = 583, SMD = 0.44, 95% CI 0.28 to 0.61, P < 0.00001; cardio output: n = 583, MD = 0.32 L/min, 95% CI 0.08 to 0.56, P = 0.009), lung capacity (FVC at quiet condition: n = 1272, MD = 359.16 mL, 95% CI 19.57 to 698.75, P = 0.04 for less than one year intervention, and MD = 442.46 mL, 95% CI 271.24 to 613.68, P<0.0001 for more than one year intervention; V·O2peak: n = 246, SMD = 1.33, 95% CI 0.97 to 1.70, P < 0.00001), and cardiorespiratory endurance (O2 pulse at quiet condition: n = 146, SMD = 1.04; 95% CI 0.69 to 1.39; P < 0.00001; stair test index at quiet condition: n = 679, SMD = 1.34, 95% CI 0.27 to 2.40, p = 0.01). No adverse events were reported.
Conclusion:
The results are encouraging and suggest that Tai Chi may be effective in improving cardiorespiratory fitness in healthy adults. However, concerning the low methodological quality in the included studies, more larger-scale well-designed trails are needed till the specific and accurate conclusions can be perorated.
Link:
Zheng, Guohua et al. “The effect of Tai Chi training on cardiorespiratory fitness in healthy adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.” PloS one vol. 10,2 e0117360. 13 Feb. 2015, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0117360
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