Is tai chi beneficial for improving aerobic capacity? A systematic review

Abstract

Tai chi has been claimed to generate beneficial effects with respect to a wide range of diseases. The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate evidence from randomised clinical trials (RCTs) testing the effectiveness of tai chi for increasing aerobic capacity. Systematic searches were conducted on 14 electronic databases without restrictions on population characteristics or the language of publication. The outcome measures considered for inclusion were changes in maximal oxygen consumption as a test for aerobic capacity. Five RCTs met all inclusion criteria. Three RCTs compared the effects of tai chi with no treatment. The meta-analysis failed to show an effect of tai chi on aerobic capacity compared with sedentary controls (n = 151, weight mean difference, ml/kg/min, 0.50, 95% CI -1.14 to 2.15, p = 0.55). Two RCTs compared tai chi with conventional physical exercise including brisk, low intensity and moderate intensity walking, and aerobic exercise. The results show that tai chi was not statistically significantly superior to physical exercise. In conclusion, the existing evidence does not suggest that regular tai chi is an effective way of increasing aerobic capacity.

Systematic reviews of t'ai chi: an overview

“…Seven SRs concluded that the current data were insufficient to draw firm conclusions,8 10 21 25 29 32 37 eight SRs concluded that t'ai chi did not have a beneficial effect,5 6 13 14 17 20 24 26 and 20 SRs concluded that t'ai chi might be effective 7 8 11 12 15 16 18 19 22 23 27 28 30 31 33–36 38 39. Of the nine high-quality SRs,5 9 11 13 14 17 21 24 32 one arrived at a positive conclusion,11 five arrived at a negative conclusion,5 13 14 17 24 and in three SRs,9 21 32 no clear conclusions were drawn.…”

“…The first authors originated from the USA (n=10), the UK (n=9), Korea (n=6), France (n=2), Australia (n=2), Netherlands (n=2), Canada (n=1), New Zealand (n=1), Singapore (n=1) and Sweden (n=1). Ten reviews incorporated a meta-analytic approach 5 11 14 17 18 20 21 24 27 32. The reviews were based on two to 47 primary studies.…”

“…Based on the OQAQ scores, the quality of the SRs varied; 17 SRs had minimal bias,5 6 9–14 17 20 21 24 27 32 34–36 11 had major flaws,7 8 15 16 18 23 28 29 31 37 38 and the remaining seven SRs had moderate flaws 19 22 25 26 30 33 39…”

Effectiveness of T'ai Chi and Qigong on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…A recent meta-analysis result also demonstrated that t'ai chi was not more beneficial for improving aerobic capacity in healthy or sick people than other physical exercises. 31 Therefore, it is necessary to conduct trials with larger sample sizes and higher methodological quality to detect any advantages that TCQ might demonstrate for improvement in physical capacity compared with other exercise trainings in patients with COPD.…”

EVALUATION OF THAI STYLE STRETCHING EXERCISE ON €œRUESI DUD TON” ON PHYSICAL HEALTH AND OXIDATIVE STRESS IN HEALTHY VOLUNTEER

“…Several lines of evidence show that the exercises involving stretching exercise incorporate with breathing practice such as Yoga and Taichi (Madanmohan et al, 2008;Wang, 2008) provide physical health benefit including cardiorespiratory function, muscle strength and posture control (Lee et al, 2009;Tran et al, 2001;Tsang and Hui-Chan, 2004). Moreover, they can also enhance antioxidant enzymes activities such as Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) and Glutathione Peroxidase (GSH-Px) while decrease Malondialdehyde (MDA) level (Agte et al, 2011;Hegde et al, 2011;Goon et al, 2009).…”