The risk of oxidative stress-related metabolic diseases increases with menopause and physical inactivity. We hypothesized that an 8-week Tai Chi (TC) training program (2 sessions in class; 2 sessions at home; 1-1:15/session) would improve antioxidant capacity and reduce cardiovascular risks in both pre- ( ) and postmenopausal ( ) sedentary women. Selected measures of physical fitness and blood parameters were analyzed before and after the program. Besides the well-known effects of TC on balance, flexibility, and maximum leg extensor strength, TC (1) increased erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase activity—an aerobic training-responsive antioxidant enzyme—and plasma total antioxidant status and (2) decreased plasma total homocysteine, a cardiovascular risk marker. In addition to being a low-velocity, low-impact, and relatively safe, TC is a suitable physical activity design for pre- and postmenopausal women to increase antioxidant defenses. Investigating breathing effects during TC movements would be an interesting area for further research in diseases prevention. 1. Introduction The risk of oxidative stress-related metabolic diseases increases with menopause and physical inactivity [1, 2]. The decline in exercise capability with aging contributes to physiological limitations, such as declines in muscle strength, flexibility, balance, and cardiovascular function [3]. Regular strength training can counteract, at least partly, this aging effect, improving functional ability and reducing the risk of fall [4]. However, it has little effect on cardiovascular risk [5] and antioxidant defense markers, which are elicited mostly by metabolic changes, induced by aerobic physical activity [6, 7]. Some clinical markers, such as oxidative stress markers, are associated with lung capacity that is inversely related to the increasing risk of metabolic diseases during menopause [8]. With aging exercise tasks are performed at a higher percentage of maximal aerobic capacity ( ), shifting substrate use from lipid-derived energy to carbohydrate. During menopause, the decreasing levels of estrogens reinforce the deterioration of both lipid metabolism and antioxidant status that is observed when the level of physical activity is chronically low [9, 10]. Although physical activity has many benefits on health, some exercises are not suitable and not recommended for older women. The combination of inappropriate training loads (high intensity, high impact, low recovery time, etc.) and aging can lead to a failure of endogenous antioxidants to adapt to acute or chronic oxidative stress
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