Lower Percentage of Fat Mass among Tai Chi Chuan Practitioners

Abstract

The aim of the study was to analyze total and regional body composition in Tai Chi Chuan (TCC) middle-aged and elderly practitioners. A cross-sectional study on 139 Italian subjects was realized: 34 TCC practitioners (14 men, 20 women; 62.8 ± 7.4 years) and 105 sedentary volunteers (49 men, 56 women; 62.8 ± 6.4 years). Anthropometric measurements (height, weight, arm, waist, and calf circumferences), hand-grip strength, and physical capacity values were collected. Total and regional (arm, leg, and trunk) body composition was analyzed by means of specific bioelectrical impedance vector analysis (specific BIVA). TCC practitioners of both sexes were characterized by a normal nutritional status, normal levels of physical capacity, and normal values of hand-grip strength. Compared to controls, they showed lower percentages of fat mass (lower specific resistance) in the total body, the arm, and the trunk, and higher muscle mass (higher phase angle) in the trunk, but lower muscle mass in the arm. Sexual dimorphism was characterized by higher muscle mass (total body, arm, and trunk) and lower %FM (arm) in men; sex differences were less accentuated among TCC practitioners than in the control. TCC middle-aged and elderly practitioners appear to be less affected by the process of physiological aging and the associated fat mass changes, compared to sedentary people.

Segmental body composition estimated by specific BIVA and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry

“…Specific BIVA has been applied in several contexts [26e28], while the segmental approach has been introduced more recently [9,29]. At the present day, no studies have evaluated the performance of specific BIVA at the segmental level.…”

Body Composition Symmetry in Long-Term Active Middle-Aged and Older Individuals

“…Physical activity (PA) can effectively contribute to the maintenance of well-being in the elderly, thus representing a driving force for successful ageing. Indeed, PA helps counter the age-related trend toward a decline of muscle mass and functionality, and an increase and central accumulation of fat mass (FM) [2,3]. Accordingly, the World Health Organization recommends PA and muscle strengthening training for maintaining physical, psychological, and cognitive well-being in older-aged individuals [4].…”

Long‐term Tai Chi practice in older adults is associated with “younger” functional abilities

“…Chi-naïve younger controls and older adults; however, comparisons between individual groups were not statistically significant. Other cross-sectional studies also support the benefit of Tai Chi for attenuating age-related decline in grip strength (Stagi et al, 2020;Zheng et al, 2022).…”