Department of Chinese Martial Arts, College of Sport Science, Hunan University of Science and Technology, Yongzhou 425100, China.
Health and Exercise Science Laboratory, Institute of Sports Science, Seoul National University, Seuoul 08826, Korea.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019 Mar 1;16(5):753. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16050753.
: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of Tai Chi (TC) on arterial stiffness, physical function of lower-limb, and cognitive ability in adults aged over 60. : This study was a prospective and randomized 12-week intervention trial with three repeated measurements (baseline, 6, and 12 weeks). Sixty healthy adults who met the inclusion criteria were randomly allocated into three training conditions (TC-24, TC-42, and TC-56) matched by gender, with 20 participants (10 males, 10 females) in each of the three groups. We measured the following health outcomes, including markers of atherosclerosis, physical function (leg power, and static and dynamic balance) of lower-limb, and cognitive ability. When all three TC groups (p < 0.05) have showed significant improvements on these outcomes but overall cognitive ability at 6 or 12 weeks training period, TC-56 appears to have superior effects on arterial stiffness and static/dynamic balance in the present study. : Study results of the present study add to growing body of evidence regarding therapeutic TC for health promotion and disease prevention in aging population. Future studies should further determine whether TC-42 and TC-56 are beneficial for other non-Chinese populations, with rigorous research design and follow-up assessment.
: 本研究旨在探讨太极拳（TC）对 60 岁以上成年人动脉僵硬、下肢身体机能和认知能力的影响。 : 这是一项前瞻性、随机 12 周干预试验，进行了三次重复测量（基线、6 周和 12 周）。符合纳入标准的 60 名健康成年人按性别随机分为三组（TC-24、TC-42 和 TC-56），每组 20 名参与者（男性 10 名，女性 10 名）。我们测量了以下健康结果，包括动脉粥样硬化标志物、下肢身体机能（腿部力量、静态和动态平衡）和认知能力。 当所有三组 TC 组（p<0.05）在这些结果上都显示出显著改善，但在 6 或 12 周的训练期间整体认知能力方面，TC-56 似乎对动脉僵硬和静态/动态平衡有更好的效果。 : 本研究结果为太极拳对老龄化人群健康促进和疾病预防的治疗作用提供了更多证据。未来的研究应该进一步确定 TC-42 和 TC-56 是否对其他非华人群体有益，采用严格的研究设计和随访评估。
