目的：本研究之目的是要探討太極拳訓練之老年人的皮膚微循環與心肺功能的表現。方法:本實驗分為三組;老年太極拳組、老年控制組、及年輕控制組。每組各十名受測者。所有受測者在固定式腳踏車接受漸進式運動測試。同時，分別量測受測者之運動能力、心肺功能、皮膚血流、血管傳導性與體溫變化。結果：實驗結果發現：(一)雖然年輕控制組較兩組老年組有較大之最高作功量、最高每分鐘換氣量、最高耗氧量、及最高二氧化碳產生量，但老年太極拳組比老年控制組有較大的有氧能力；(二) 年輕控制組比老年太極拳組及老年控制組有較高之最高心跳率與最高心臟耗氧指數、及較低之最高收縮及舒張壓；(三) 雖然老年太極拳組的休息時之氧脈與老年控制組無顯著差異，但在運動時之最高氧脈則老年太極拳組高於老年控制組；(四)在休息及運動時，老年太極拳組之皮膚血流量、血管傳導性，及皮膚體溫皆高於老年控制組；(五)年輕控制組比老年太極拳組及老年控制組有較高之運動時最高皮膚血流量、血管傳導性、及皮膚體溫。結論：從上述結果顯示，經太極拳訓練之老年人比活動量較少之老年人有較大的心肺功能表現。並且，老年人在經太極拳訓練後可能會減緩皮膚微循環老化程度。

Purpose: The objective of this study was to evaluate the cutaneous microcirculatory and cardiorespiratory function in geriatric Tai Chi Chuan (TCC) practitioners. Methods: Ten older TCC practitioners, 10 older sedentary, and 10 younger sedentary men underwent an exercise test on a bicycle ergometer with a 10-30 W increase in workload every 3 min, until exhaustion. The following measurements were taken in three groups: exercise performance, cardiospiratory function, skin blood flow
(SkBF),cutaneous vascular conductance (CVC), and skin temperature (SkT). Results: Our results indicated that 1) although sedentary younger group had significantly a higher work load, V Epeak' VO2peak' VCO2peak compared with the TCC and sedentary older groups, TCC older group had a higher peak aerobic capacity than the older sedentary group; 2) sedentary younger group had significantly a higher peak heart rate and rate pressure produce but a lower peak systolic and diastolic blood pressures
compared with the TCC and sedentary older groups; 3) although resting 2 pulse in TCC older group was 2 pulse in TCC older group was significantly higher than that in sedentary older group; 4) at rest and peak exercise, the TCC older group had a higher SkBF, CVC, and SkT than sedentary older group; and 5) the sedentary younger group had a higher SkBF, CVC, and SkT at peak exercise than all older groups. Conclusion: These results suggest that older TCC practitioners had larger aerobic potential than sedentary older subjects. Moreover, TCC training in older people may delay the decline of cutaneous microcirculatory function.