The aerobic capacity and ventilatory efficiency during exercise in Qigong and Tai Chi Chuan practitioners

The objective of this study was to compare cardiorespiratory responses to exercise among older Qigong participants, Tai Chi Chuan (TCC) practitioners and normal sedentary controls during cycle ergometry. Thirty-six community-dwelling men with a mean age of 59.1 +/- 6.6 years participated in this study. Each group (Qigong, TCC and control) included 12 subjects with matched age and body size. The Qigong group practiced Qigong regularly for 2.3 +/- 1.5 years; the TCC group practiced Yang TCC for 4.7 +/- 2.3 years. Heart rate (HR) responses were measured during the practice of Qigong and TCC. Additionally, breath-by-breath measurement of cardiorespiratory function was performed during the incremental exercise of leg cycling. The mean HR during Qigong and TCC practice was 91 +/- 5 bpm and 129 +/- 7 bpm, respectively. At the peak exercise and the ventilatory threshold (VeT), TCC group displayed highest oxygen uptake (VO2), O2 pulse and work rate among the three groups. The Qigong group also showed higher oxygen uptake and O2 pulse than the control group. At the same relative exercise intensity, the Qigong group had the highest tidal volume among the three groups. In conclusion, Qigong and TCC show a beneficial effect to aerobic capacity in older individuals, but TCC displays a better training effect than Qigong due to its higher exercise intensity. However, Qigong can enhance breathing efficiency during exercise due to the training effect of diaphragmatic breathing.     

太极拳国内外研究进展

太极拳是一种强调运动者依靠体内外间协调平衡、松紧有持、阴阳同济的体育运动形式。太极拳在国内外广泛传播的同时,太极拳运动的研究也在蓬勃开展。文章从太极拳的生物学效应出发,从慢性阻塞性肺疾病、心血管疾病、Ⅱ型糖尿病、中风后遗症、骨关节炎等方向对太极拳的研究近况进行综述。     

Heart rate responses and oxygen consumption during Tai Chi Chuan practice.

Tai Chi Chuan (TCC) is a popular Chinese conditioning exercise, however, its exercise intensity remains controversial. The objective of this study was to determine the exercise intensity of Yang TCC by measuring heart rate (HR) responses and oxygen consumption (VO2) during practice. Fifteen men aged 39.9 +/- 9.5 yrs (range 26-56 yrs) participated in this study. Subjects had practiced classical Yang TCC for 5.8 +/- 2.4 years. HR responses and VO2 were measured during practice of TCC by using a K4 telemetry system. Blood lactate was measured before and immediately after TCC practice. Additionally, breath-by-breath measurement of cardiorespiratory function and sequential determination of blood lactate were performed during the incremental exercise of leg cycling. Measurements obtained during the TCC practice and exercise testing were compared to determine the exercise intensity of TCC. While performing TCC, the mean HR of subjects was 140 +/- 10 bpm, and the mean VO2 was 21.4 +/- 1.5 mL x kg(-1) min(-1). Compared with the data of the exercise test, the HR during practice was 58% of the heart rate range. Meanwhile, the VO2 during TCC practice was 55% of the VO2peak. Additionally, the level of blood lactate immediately after TCC practice was 3.8 mM, which reflected the level of lactate during TCC, approximated the onset of blood lactate accumulation (OBLA). The results demonstrate that TCC is an exercise with moderate intensity, and is aerobic in nature.     

基于Web of Science的国际太极拳研究知识图谱分析

目的：太极拳作为一种传统中医养生保健方法在世界各国引起了广泛的关注。分析国际上太极拳研究领域现状与热点,为今后太极拳研究提供参考性建议。方法：以1981-2013年Web of Science数据库收录的1 349篇太极拳文献为研究对象,采用CiteSpace软件对1 349篇文献进行知识图谱分析,探测了国际太极拳研究现状与热点。结果：太极拳研究呈增长趋势,主要研究地区集中在美国与中国,研究领域从医学、运动科学扩展到心理学、工程学、计算机科学等,研究热点集中在身体控制、心理学、心血管疾病等方面。结论：太极拳是一项有益于心身健康的养生保健方法,今后太极拳研究的重点在理论基础、作用机制与严格的循证医学证据等方面。     

太极拳锻炼防治骨质疏松症的Meta分析

目的:评价太极拳锻炼防治骨质疏松症的有效性。方法:计算机检索PubMed、Web of science、The Cochrane Library、Embase、中国生物医学文献数据库、维普网、万方数据库、中国知网收录的太极拳锻炼防治骨质疏松症的随机对照试验文献,检索时限为建库至2020年7月15日。对照组不干预或口服常规抗骨质疏松药物,试验组在对照组的基础上联合太极拳锻炼干预。由2名研究人员独立检索、筛选文献,提取资料并评价纳入研究的偏倚风险。采用Revman5.3软件进行Meta分析。结果:共纳入18篇文献。Meta分析结果显示,试验组腰椎骨密度改善程度优于对照组[I²=0%,P=0.960;SMD=0.17,95%CI(0.01,0.33),P=0.030],股骨颈骨密度改善程度优于对照组[I²=0%,P=0.910;SMD=0.24,95%CI(0.09,0.38),P=0.001],Ward三角骨密度改善程度优于对照组[I²=0%,P=0.730;SMD=0.21,95%CI(-0.00,0.43),P=0.050],2组患者股骨大转子骨密度改善程度的差异无统计学意义[I²=0%,P=0.720;SMD=0.14,95%CI(-0.08,0.36),P=0.210];2组患者的跟骨超声振幅衰减改善程度、跟骨骨质指数改善程度比较,组间差异均无统计学意义[I²=0%,P=0.980;SMD=0.13,95%CI(-0.24,0.50),P=0.490;I²=0%,P=0.940;SMD=0.11,95%CI(-0.26,0.47),P=0.570];试验组跟骨超声传播速度改善程度优于对照组[I²=0%,P=0.980;SMD=0.50,95%CI(-0.13,0.87),P=0.009];试验组血清钙浓度改善程度优于对照组[I²=0%,P=0.860;SMD=-0.33,95%CI(-0.58,-0.07),P=0.010];2组患者的血清磷浓度和血清碱性磷酸酶浓度改善程度比较,组间差异均无统计学意义[I²=0%,P=0.980;SMD=0.09,95%CI(-0.16,0.34),P=0.480;I²=0%,P=0.610;SMD=-0.01,95%CI(-0.27,0.24),P=0.930];试验组的治疗有效率高于对照组[I²=0%,P=0.680;RR=11.74,95%CI(3.71,37.17),P=0.000]。利用股骨颈骨密度作发表偏倚分析,结果显示漏斗图上各研究点分布基本对称,提示存在发表偏倚的可能性较小。结论:现有的证据表明,太极拳锻炼可以有效提高锻炼者的骨密度,改善骨代谢,对骨质疏松症有较好的防治作用。     

Effects of Tai Chi exercise on physical and mental health of college students

The purpose of this pilot study is to examine the effects of Tai Chi Quan, a body-mind harmony exercise, on college students' perceptions of their physical and mental health. A three-month intervention of Tai Chi exercise was administered to college students, and multidimensional physical (PHD) and mental (MHD) health scores were assessed using the SF-36v2 health survey questionnaire before and after the intervention. Thirty college students participated in a 1-hour-long Tai Chi exercise intervention twice a week for 3 months. Each practice session included 10 minutes of breathing and stretching exercises followed by 50 minutes of Tai Chi Quan 24-form practice. PHD including physical function (PF), role physical (RP), bodily pain (BP), general health (GH), and MHD including social function (SF), role mental/emotion function (RE), vitality (VT), perceptions of mental health (MH) were assessed. The normalized scores of each variable and the combined PHD or MHD scores before and after the Tai Chi intervention were examined by paired t-test (p < 0.05). Physical measures of BP and GH, and mental measures of RE, VT and MH were significantly improved after Tai Chi exercise intervention. When the overall PHD or MHD scores were evaluated, the MHD had increased significantly. In conclusion, Tai Chi exercise had positive effects on the self-assessed physical and mental health of college students. Scores on the mental health dimension appeared to be particularly sensitive to change. Colleges/universities might consider offering Tai Chi as a component of their ongoing physical activity programs available to students.     

太极拳运动在老年帕金森病患者步态及平衡障碍康复中的应用研究进展

近年来随着医疗水平的提升,运动康复训练越来越受到人们的重视。随着太极拳运动在康复医学中的推广应用,其作为神经系统疾病后期康复训练及补充替代治疗手段之一,也逐渐受到重视及认可。笔者通过系统回顾国内外相关研究,探讨太极拳运动对老年帕金森病患者运动功能及平衡功能的影响,旨在进一步明确太极拳运动的治疗效果,为老年帕金森病患者提供一种即安全可行又高效的康复训练方法。     

Comparison of the effects of Tai Chi Chuan and Wai Tan Kung exercises on autonomic nervous system modulation and on hemodynamics in elder adults

The health of the middle-aged and elderly people is a major concern given the rapid aging population and rising costs of medical care. Low-impact exercise on a regular basis is ideal for maintaining the well-being of an aging population. Tai Chi Chuan (TCC) is the most well-known and most widely practiced form of low-impact martial arts therapy and has been shown to have positive health effects. A lesser-known form of martial arts therapy is Wai Tan Kung (WTK), which our previous study found to have positive health effects as well. The present study compares the effects of TCC and WTK on autonomic nervous system modulation and on hemodynamics in adults among non-exercising control (30), TCC practitioners (30) and WTK practitioners (30). Our study found that in a short-term, WTK and TCC exercises enhanced the vagal modulation, lowered the sympathetic modulation and lowered arterial blood pressures in the practitioners. It was also observed that the forced vital capacity of TCC practitioners was significantly higher than that of WTK practitioners before exercise. There were no significant differences in the percentage changes in HRV measures and hemodynamics between WTK and TCC practitioners 30 and 60 min after exercise, indicating that the effects of WTK and TCC were similar in magnitude. In conclusion, TCC and WTK are comparable to each other in terms of their effects on autonomic nervous system modulation and hemodynamics, thus suggesting that WTK can be just as beneficial as TCC as a form of low-impact exercise for elderly adults.     

太极拳临床试验干预措施报告规范的建议

目的:本研究旨在针对当前太极拳干预措施报告存在的问题,结合国际临床试验报告规范及其扩展版,制定出一套太极拳临床试验干预措施报告规范建议,以期能够提高太极拳临床试验的报告质量,为读者提供完整、准确和透明的报告,促进医疗决策和临床实践。方法:通过文献计量分析进行条目总结,召集研究人员讨论,咨询相关专家,研究者根据讨论结果对规范进行反复修改,最终确定报告规范建议的条目、条目说明、并列举高质量的报告范例。结果:本研究制定的太极拳临床试验干预措施报告规范建议,包括7个条目和16个亚条目。7个条目分别是:1)太极拳干预的合理性;2)太极拳学习和练习的细节;3)太极拳干预方案;4)其他干预措施;5)太极拳老师的资历;6)练习太极拳的达标要求;7)对照或者对照干预。结论:该建议条目有待召集国内外相关专家形成共识意见,并将在太极拳临床试验中加以试用。     

柴胡加龙骨牡蛎汤加减联合太极拳运动治疗抑郁症40例临床观察

目的:观察柴胡加龙骨牡蛎汤加减联合太极拳运动治疗肝气阻滞兼痰热型抑郁症的临床疗效。方法:将80例肝气阻滞兼痰热型抑郁症患者随机分为治疗组和对照组,每组各40例。治疗组给予柴胡加龙骨牡蛎汤加减联合太极拳运动治疗,对照组给予盐酸帕罗西汀治疗。2组疗程均为6周。观察患者的综合疗效及抑郁自评量表(SDS)评分、汉密尔顿抑郁量表(HAMD)评分、中医证候评分、不良反应量表(TESS)评分。结果:治疗组脱落1例,对照组脱落2例。综合疗效总有效率治疗组为94.87%(37/39),对照组为81.58%(31/38),2组比较,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);2组治疗2、4、6周后SDS、HAMD及中医证候评分均低于治疗前(P<0.01),且治疗组治疗后各时间节点的SDS、HAMD、TESS及中医证候评分均低于对照组(P<0.05或P<0.01)。结论:柴胡加龙骨牡蛎汤加减联合太极拳运动治疗肝气阻滞兼痰热型抑郁症疗效确切,且无明显不良反应,值得临床推广应用。     

不同年龄人群习练太极拳过程中有氧运动水平的动态研究

目的通过研究习练太极拳过程中的有氧运动水平,为针对不同年龄人群科学制定运动处方提供依据。方法选择习练太极拳2年以上的受试对象49名,其中大学生组30名,年龄18～25岁;中老年组19名,年龄53～70岁。采用超小型便携式动态心电记录盒完整记录受试者在太极拳习练过程中的心电信号,分析受试者动态心率趋势、达到有氧运动靶心率情况以及达到有氧运动的时间。结果中老年组的平均心率曲线在8～27 min区间持续越过了有氧运动靶心率下限,而大学生组的平均心率曲线始终位于该组平均有氧运动靶心率下限的下方。大学生组、中老年组达到有氧运动靶心率者分别为10名(33.33%)、15名(78.95%),组间差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。大学生组、中老年组心率开始到达有氧运动时间和持续时间比较,差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。结论与青年人相比较,大部分中老年人习练太极拳更易达到有氧运动水平,可作为中老年人群的科学运动处方。     

太极拳训练改善中老年人腰椎旁肌脂肪分数的研究

目的:使用改良水-脂分离技术定量评估腰椎旁肌的脂肪含量,探讨太极拳训练对中老年人腰椎旁肌脂肪分数的作用。方法:86例中老年人(太极拳组42例,对照组44例)行常规磁共振检查及改良水-脂分离技术(m-DIXON Quant)序列扫描,测量L2/L3、L3/L4、L4/L5、L5/S1水平双侧竖脊肌、多裂肌脂肪含量;采用独立样本t检验,分析两组患者同一层面腰椎旁肌脂肪含量的区别。结果:太极拳组腰椎旁竖脊肌、多裂肌脂肪含量均低于对照组,经独立样本t检验,竖脊肌L3/L4(t=3.20,P<0.01)、L4/L5(t=2.32,P<0.05)、L5/S1(t=2.15,P<0.05)差异有统计学意义;多裂肌L3/L4(t=2.21,P<0.05)、L4/L5(t=2.42,P<0.05)、L5/S1(t=2.89,P<0.01)差异有统计学意义。结论:太极拳训练可延缓中老年人腰椎旁肌脂肪浸润程度,以下腰段改善较明显。     

Effects of extended Tai Chi intervention on balance and selected motor functions of the elderly

Balance ability decreases with age, which results in an increased risk of falls for people over age 65. Tai Chi exercise appears to offer potential benefits in the reduction of falls for the elderly. The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of extended (6- and 12-month) Tai Chi exercise interventions on balance and selected motor functions for senior citizens. Forty-seven subjects were recruited from two local senior centers. Twenty of them (M = 71.8 years, SD = 7.1), 11 in the Tai Chi exercise group and 9 in the control group, completed the pre-, mid- and post-tests over 12 months on five selected functional performance tests: static balance, dynamic balance, choice reaction time, heel-rise strength, and ankle flexibility. The Tai Chi group was provided with a one-hour Tai Chi exercise session per week for 12 months; the control group did not participate in any exercise program. Results showed that static balance improved significantly after a 6-month Tai Chi intervention. Moreover, the Tai Chi group maintained a higher level in the test performance compared with the control group at the end of the 12-month intervention, but there was no significant difference between the two groups. Data suggested that Tai Chi exercise intervention could produce a positive influence on balance control for the elderly over a prolonged period, but not on muscle strength and ankle flexibility.     

Effect of Tai Chi on body balance: randomized controlled trial in elderly men with dizziness

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of 18-week Tai Chi training on body balance in a dynamic trial among elderly men with dizziness. The study covered subjects aged 60 to 80 years. We identified 40 men who reported a history of dizziness. The subjects were recruited using direct mailings and a community information campaign. The participants were randomly assigned to either the exercise intervention (n = 20) or control group (n = 20). The Tai Chi group participated in an 18-week exercise class held for 45 minutes twice a week. Body balance was studied in two ways: using the "8 foot up and go test" (Rikli and Jones 2001) and using a Computer Posturographic System PE 90 (manufactured by Military Institute of Aviation Medicine in Warsaw and outfitted with Pro-Med modified software). The ability to perform specific tasks (maximal deflections in four directions) was measured on the posturographic platform. The variation in results obtained on the first and second date of tests in the experimental and control groups was confirmed statistically using four parameters, i.e. "8 foot up to and go test (H = 8.21;p = 0.003), forward deflection (H = 3.70;p = 0.050), backward deflection (H = 5.04;p = 0.024) and maximum sway area (H = 8.86;p = 0.002). Consequently, we found that the 18-week period of Tai-Chi exercises, with a frequency of twice a week for 45 minutes, is beneficial for dynamic balance, which is important for the reduction of fall risk factors among elderly men with dizziness.     

The earliest acupuncture school of the United States incubated in a Tai Chi Center in Los Angeles

<正>Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)arrived in the United States(U.S.)in 1854[1].Initially,most TCM providers were herbalists[1,2],w ith very few being acupuncturists.Based on my research,the earliest acupuncturist to practice in     

Effect of Tai Chi on body balance: randomized controlled trial in men with osteopenia or osteoporosis

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of 18-week Tai Chi training on body balance in dynamic trial among elderly men. The study covered 49 subjects from age 60 to 82.1 years, who had osteopenia or osteoporosis. The subjects were recruited from the community by direct mailings and community efforts to participate in studies. The participants were randomly assigned to either the exercise intervention (n = 25) or control groups (n = 24). The Tai Chi group participated in an 18-week exercise class held for 45 min, twice a week. Body balance was assessed using a Computer Posturographic System PE 90 produced by the Military Institute of Aviation Medicine in Warsaw with modified software made in Pro-Med. During the measurement of body balance, the capacity to perform specific tasks was analyzed (deflections in the set scope and direction). In the Tai Chi group, an increase (p < or = 0.01) in effectiveness of balance task performance was noted from 80.95% to 84.45% after the training. In the control group, no statistically significant improvement in the level of body balance was found in the same period. Thus, an 18-week period of Tai Chi exercises twice a week for 45 min is beneficial for dynamic balance. It can be important for reducing fall risk factors.     

太极拳运动对缺血性脑卒中高危人群的心肺功能影响研究进展

本文总结缺血性脑卒中的危险因素,分析太极拳对缺血性脑卒中高危人群心肺功能的影响机理,为今后社区开展脑卒中预防项目提供依据。     

Comparison of the effects of Tai Chi and resistance training on bone metabolism in the elderly: a feasibility study

This feasibility study compared the effects of Tai Chi (TC) and resistance training (RT) on bone metabolism in the elderly. Twenty eight sedentary, elder adults, were randomized into either TC (n = 14, 78.8 +/-1.3 years) or RT (n = 14, 79.4 +/-2.2 years) to participate in 40 min of exercise per session, 3 sessions/week for 24 weeks. The outcome measures assessed were the concentrations of serum bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BAP), pyridinoline (PYD), parathyroid hormone (PTH) and calcium, and urinary calcium. The TC group had a higher compliance rate than the RT group. After 6 weeks, (i) both TC and RT resulted in higher level of serum BAP relative to the baseline and the TC group exhibited a greater increase in serum BAP than the RT group; (ii) there was an increase of serum PYD in the RT group only, not in the TC group; and (iii) the BAP/PYD ratio was higher than baseline only in the TC group, and the increase of the ratio in the TC group was greater than that in the RT group. After 12 weeks, the increase in serum PTH in the TC group was higher than the RT group. After 24 weeks, there was a reduction of the urinary calcium level in the TC group relative to the baseline. In conclusion, these findings support that TC is beneficial for increasing bone formation in elderly, and long-term application is needed to substantiate the effect of TC as an alternative exercise in promotion of bone health.     

Effects of Tai Chi on gait kinematics, physical function, and pain in elderly with knee osteoarthritis--a pilot study

Our previous study has demonstrated that 6 weeks of Tai Chi exercise significantly improves knee pain and stiffness in elderly with knee osteoarthritis. This study also examine the effects of Tai Chi exercise on gait kinematics, physical function, pain, and pain self-efficacy in elderly with knee osteoarthritis. In this prospective, pretest-posttest clinical trial, 40 men and women (64.4+/-8.3 years) diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis participated in 6 weeks of instructed Tai Chi training, 1 hour/session, 2 sessions/week. The following measures were taken at baseline and the conclusion of the intervention: (a) gait kinematics including stride length, stride frequency, and gait speed quantified using video analysis, (b) physical function, (c) knee pain, and (d) pain self-efficacy. Data were analyzed using repeated MANCOVA, MANOVA, ANOVA and Wilcoxon tests. After 6 weeks of Tai Chi exercise, stride length (p=0.023; 1.17+/-0.17 vs. 1.20+/-0.14 m), stride frequency (p=0.014; 0.91+/-0.08 vs. 0.93+/-0.08 strides/s), and consequently gait speed (p<0.025; 1.06+/-0.19 vs. 1.12+/-0.15 m/s) increased in the participants. Physical function was significantly improved (p<0.001) and knee pain was significantly decreased (p=0.002), while no change was observed in pain self-efficacy. In conclusion, these findings support that Tai Chi is beneficial for gait kinematics in elderly with knee osteoarthritis, and a longer term application is needed to substantiate the effect of Tai Chi as an alternative exercise in management of knee osteoarthritis.     

Effects of Tai Chi on health outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis

ObjectiveTo explore the effects and dose–response relationship of Tai Chi for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and to evaluate the methodological quality of the included trials and evidence quality of the outcomes.MethodsNine major English and Chinese databases were searched for randomized controlled trials of Tai Chi for T2DM from inception to December 2021. The effects and dose–response relationships were assessed with a meta-analysis and meta-regression using Stata.16. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using the risk of bias tool. The evidence quality of the outcomes was assessed using the GRADE tool.ResultsA total of 24 studies with 1314 patients were included. Compared with the usual care, Tai Chi improved HbA1c (MD = ?0.80%, 95% CI [?1.05, ?0.54], P < .001, I² = 18.29%, very low–quality evidence), FBG (SMD = ?0.58, 95% CI [?0.86, ?0.31], P < .001, I² = 53.2%, low-quality evidence), fasting insulin (FIN), diastolic blood pressure, BMI, and the outcomes of quality of life (QoL) in patients with T2DM. However, when Tai Chi was compared with other exercise, there was no between-group difference in the HbA1c, FBG, TC, TG, HDL, LDL, BMI, and waist circumference (WC). Furthermore, the findings showed that an increase at every 18 weeks in length or an 823-h increase in the total time of Tai Chi intervention resulted in approximately a one unit reduction in the SMD of FBG.ConclusionCompared with usual care, Tai Chi may improve HbA1c (with clinical significance), FBG, FIN, BMI, diastolic blood pressure, and outcomes of QoL in T2DM patients. The effects of Tai Chi were similar to those of other exercises on the HbA1c, FBG, TC, TG, HDL, LDL, BMI, and WC. Given the overall poor methodological quality and evidence quality, these findings should be treated cautiously.