title: Effects of tai chi training in dynapenic and nondynapenic postmenopausal women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of a 12-week tai chi program in type I dynapenic and nondynapenic postmenopausal women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-two postmenopausal women were recruited. Body composition, handgrip strength, functional capacities, cardiorespiratory functions (forced expiratory volume in 1 s and oxygen consumption per unit time peak), and quality of life (36-item Short-Form Health Survey) were measured before and after the intervention.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Type I dynapenic postmenopausal women showed a significant decrease in body weight (P = 0.004), fat mass percentage (P = 0.02), and skeletal muscle mass (SM; in kilograms; P = 0.02), whereas handgrip strength (in kilograms per SMkg; P = 0.04), functional capacity test scores (P ≤ 0.050), and general health perception (P = 0.01) significantly increased. In nondynapenic postmenopausal women, we observed a significantly decreased waist circumference (P = 0.04) and a significantly increased chair-stand test (P < 0.001) and one-leg stance test (P = 0.04) scores. In addition, significantly lower systolic (P ≤ 0.001) and diastolic (P ≤ 0.005) blood pressures were observed in both groups after the intervention. Finally, type I dynapenic women showed a more pronounced general health perception increase compared with nondynapenic individuals (P = 0.03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tai chi training improved body composition, muscle strength, functional capacities, and general health perception in postmenopausal women, and this last improvement was more pronounced in type I dynapenic individuals. Therefore, tai chi may be considered as an alternative physical training method in preventing the occurrence of disabilities and frailty in postmenopausal women with type I dynapenia.
authors.affiliation: Groupe de Recherche en Activité Physique Adaptée, Department of Kinanthropology, University of Quebec at Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Sébastien
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Barbat-Artigas
authors.forename: Marie-Eve
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Filion
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dupontgand
authors.forename: Antony D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Karelis
authors.forename: Mylène
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aubertin-Leheudre
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D001823:Body Composition / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D018737:Hand Strength; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000502:physiology*; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D026302:Tai Ji; D055105:Waist Circumference