Effect of 6 months of Tai Chi Chuan and calcium supplementation on bone health in females aged 50-59 years

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of Tai Chi Chuan, with and without calcium supplementation, on bone mineral density (BMD) and balance in women aged 50-59 years. A total of 80 subjects were randomly allocated into four groups according to calcium supplementation and the presence or absence of Tai Chi Chuan: (1) control; (2) Ca; (3) Tai Chi Chuan (TCC); and (4) TCC + Ca. The TCC and TCC + Ca groups practiced Tai Chi Chuan for longer than 30 minutes per session, 3 sessions per week for 26 weeks, while the control and Ca groups performed no systematic exercise. BMD and one leg standing time were assessed for all subjects before and after the experimental period. BMD was measured using SD-1000 single photon absorptiometry. The Ca and TCC + Ca groups received daily oral supplements of calcium 720 mg. In all subjects, a balance ability index was assessed and was determined as the time (in seconds) for which the subject could remain standing on one leg with her eyes closed. Subjects in the TCC and TCC+Ca groups demonstrated a significantly higher BMD than those in the control and Ca groups after the 6 months of training, while there had been no significant differences between the groups before training. Subjects in the TCC and TCC + Ca groups exhibited significantly improved balance ability compared to the control and Ca groups after the 6 months of training. The present study demonstrated that 6 months of TCC practice can retard bone mass loss and improve the ability to maintain balance.