Table 1

Summary of randomised clinical studies of tai chi for aerobic capacity

First author (year)Origin	Sample sizeConditionAge (yrs)	Quality score*Allocation concealment	Experimental intervention (regimen)Tai chi style	Control intervention (groups in italics are not relevant to this review)	VO_2maxmeasurement method	Main results (SD)Adverse events
Brown (1995)12 USA	135 Healthy subjects 40–69	1 (1+0+0+0+0) Unclear	(A) Tai chi (45 min, 3 times weekly for 16 weeks, 48 sessions, n = 18)	(B) Moderate intensity walking (65–75% of HR, n = 24)	Maximal graded walking treadmill test	(A) −0.9 (5.3), M; −1.2 (5.4), W; (B) −2.8(3.7), M; 1.8 (4.8), W; (C) 0.8(5.7), M; 1.3 (5.8), W; (D) 0.8 (6.4), M; −1.5 (6.0), W
			Not specified	(C) Low intensity walking (45–55% of HR, n = 34)(D) Control (n = 31)(E) Low intensity walking plus meditation (n = 18)		M: (A) vs. (B), p = 0.07; (A) vs. (C), p = 0.45; (A) vs. (D), p = 0.49W: (A) vs. (B), p = 0.24; (A) vs. (C), p = 0.35; (A) vs. (D), p = 0.91NR
Audette (2006)13 USA	26 Community dwelling sedentary women⩾65	4 (1+1+1+0+1) Unclear	(A) Tai chi (60 min 3 times weekly for 12 weeks, 36 sessions, n = 11)Yang style (10-movements)	(B) Brisk walk (50–70% of HR, 60 min 3 times weekly for 12 weeks, n = 8)(C) Sedentary control (n = 8), Non-randomised	YMCA Submaxiamal Cycle ergometer test	(A) 4.2 (3.0); (B) 0.2 (2.6) (A) vs. (B), p = 0.01 NR
Young (1999)14 USA	62 Hypertension 60–80	4 (1+1+1+0+1) Unclear	(A) Tai chi (60 min, twice weekly plus 30–45 min 4–5 times weekly home-based exercise for 12 weeks, 24 sessions, n = 31) Yang style (13 movements)	(B) Aerobic exercise (60 min, twice weekly plus 30–45 min 4–5 times weekly home-based exercise for 12 weeks, n = 31)	YMCA Submaxiamal Cycle Ergometer test	(A) 0.97 (4.51); (B) 1.64 (4.79) (A) vs. (B), p = 0.57 NR
Song (2003)15 Korea	72 Knee OA 63 (mean)	3 (1+1+1+0+0) Adequate	(A) Tai Chi (60 min, 3 times weekly for 12 weeks, 36 sessions, n = 38) Sun style (12 movements)	(B) Routine treatment (n = 34)	Submaxiamal Cycle Ergometer test	(A) 1.64 (6.0); (B) 0.91 (4.2) (A) vs. (B), p = 0.653 NR
Yeh (2004)16 USA	30 Chronic heart failure 64(mean)	4 (1+1+1+0+1) Adequate	(A) Tai chi (1 hr, twice weekly for 12 weeks, 24 sessions, n = 15) with usual care Yang style (5 movements)	(B) Usual care (conventional medication, dietary and exercise counselling, n = 15) without formal supervised exercise protocol	Bicycle ramp protocol	(A) 0.9 (3.3); (B) −0.7 (6.6) (A) vs. (B), p = 0.08 None
Mustian (2008)17 USA	31 breast cancer patients 33–78	3 (1+1+1+0+0) Adequate	(A) Tai chi (60 min, 3 times weekly for 12 weeks, n = 11) Yang style (15 movements)	(B) Psychosocial support therapy (60 min, 3 times weekly for 12 weeks, n = 10)	6-minutes walk test protocol	(A) 1.65 (3.82); (B) −0.09 (4.93) (A) vs. (B), p = 0.44 None

*Quality score: modified Jadad score (randomisation 1 point + appropriate randomisation method 1 point + describing withdrawals and dropouts 1 point + patient blinding 1 point + assessor blinding 1 point), maximum 5 points.
NR, not reported; M, men; W, women; HR, heart rate; OA, osteoarthritis.