Hypoglycemic and antioxidant effect of Tai chi exercise training in older adults with metabolic syndrome

Abstract

IntroductionThe antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of Tai chi (TC) exercise training in healthy older adults has been demonstrated. However, there are no studies on this effect in older adults with metabolic syndrome (MetS).PurposeThe aim of this study was to determine the effect of TC exercise on oxidative stress and inflammatory markers in older adults with MetS.MethodsA quasi-experimental study was carried out with a sample of 110 older sedentary volunteers with clinical diagnoses of MetS: (i) a control group, n = 50, of individuals who do not participate in physical exercise, of which 37 fulfilled the entire study protocol, and (ii) an experimental group, n = 60, of subjects enrolled in a TC exercise training program (eight-form easy), 5 days a week for 6 months, in sessions of 50 min, under the supervision of a qualified instructor, of which 48 fulfilled the entire study protocol. We measured in both groups (pre- and post-intervention) the following cardiovascular parameters: resting heart rate (RHR), diastolic and systolic blood pressure (DBP and SBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), RHR-SBP product, RHR-MAP product; glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c); oxidative stress markers (superoxide dismutase, total antioxidant status, thiobarbituric acid reacting substances, and oxidative stress score); and inflammation markers (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-8, and IL-10).ResultsA statistically significant decrease in HbA1c concentration was observed in the TC group compared with the control group (p < 0.05). This group also showed a statistically significant increase in TAS and a decrease in the oxidative stress score (p < 0.05). We did not observe changes in the cardiovascular parameters (RHR, DBP, SBP, MAP, RHR-SBP product, and RHR-MAP product) in the TC experimental group compared to the control group.ConclusionOur findings suggest that the practice of TC exercise has an antioxidative and hypoglycemic effect in the elderly with MetS.

Effects of T'ai Chi on Chronic Systemic Inflammation

“…1,3,4,6,9,11 Two quasiexperimental studies were conducted by the same research group. 12,13 Compared with noncontact controls, 6-month t'ai chi practice did not alter circulating levels of inflammatory markers in older adults with periodontal disease, 12 and only lowered levels of one, but not other proinflammatory cytokines in older adults with metabolic disease. 13 These findings are consistent with those from the randomized controlled studies.…”

“…Among 26 articles, 13 articles met the inclusion criteria. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] There were two sets of articles that describe the same studies. 3,4,7,8 The authors combined the two articles for one study, 3,4 and included one article for the other study.…”

“…8 Among the 11 studies, 9 studies were randomized controlled studies 1-6,8-11 and 2 studies were quasiexperimental studies. 12,13…”

Biohumoral Indicators Influenced by Physical Activity in the Elderly

“…Based on these results, improved biohumoral markers of bone and muscle health correlated with the improvement in muscle relief and performance of physically active participants [32]. Similarly, a study investigating the beneficial effects of Tai-Chi in older adults showed a statistically significant difference in glycosylated haemoglobin levels compared to untrained controls as well as a significant increase in total antioxidant status [25]. Another study evaluating the association between peak oxygen uptake (a marker of aerobic capacity) and metabolic/cardiovascular parameters showed that subjects with lower VO 2 had a higher risk to present altered cardiovascular parameters and had higher levels of accumulation of wide-spectrum acyl-carnitines, alanine, and glutamine [29].…”

Anti–Glycation Aging Prevention Strategies

“…Слід відмітити, що активно проводяться дослідження впливу фізичного навантаження на оксидативний та глікаційний стрес. Так, було встановлено, антиоксидантний та гіпоглікемічний ефект тренувань по тайцзи у літніх людей з метаболічним синдромом [43].…”