Acute Effects of Tai Chi Training on Cognitive and Cardiovascular Responses in Late Middle-Aged Adults: A Pilot Study

Table 2

Outcome measurements between the two groups (pretest, during intervention and posttest) and within individual groups.

	Tai Chi group	Control group	Group × time interaction effect	Group effect	Time effect
	Mean ± SD	Mean ± SD	value	value	value
Cognitive states
Attention level
Pretest	54.27 ± 14.03	48.55 ± 16.45	0.006	0.112	0.323
Intervention	60.01 ± 9.24	45.86 ± 9.43
Posttest	48.35 ± 10.26	48.04 ± 14.37
Meditation level
Pretest	60.24 ± 14.70	58.06 ± 14.53	0.203	0.455	0.74
Intervention	67.03 ± 9.88	58.38 ± 7.24
Posttest	57.41 ± 12.85	56.22 ± 7.50
Perceived stress level
Pretest	11.40 ± 7.24	15.50 ± 4.30	<0.001	<0.001	0.626
Posttest	8.55 ± 5.87	15.35 ± 3.47
Cardiovascular responses
Heart rate (beats per minute)
Pretest	78.15 ± 11.82	71.25 ± 10.27	<0.001	0.003	0.002
Intervention	88.40 ± 11.99	73.83 ± 7.63
Posttest	82.95 ± 10.67	73.25 ± 7.65
Oxygen saturation in blood (%)
Pretest	97.65 ± 1.39	97.15 ± 1.73	0.382	0.290	0.523
Intervention	97.85 ± 0.92	97.91 ± 1.13
Posttest	97.95 ± 1.32	98.05 ± 1.23
Palmar skin temperature (°C)
Pretest	29.42 ± 3.94	29.92 ± 2.49	0.192	0.098	0.046
Posttest	29.69 ± 3.91	29.98 ± 2.77

Group by Time Interaction, Group and Time Effects. denotes a difference significant at < 0.05. Within Group. denotes a difference significant at < 0.017 when compared with pretest values; denotes a difference significant at < 0.017 when compared with intervention values; denotes a difference significant at < 0.05 when compared with pretest values. Between Groups. denotes a difference significant at < 0.05 when compared with the control group.