Association between physical function and the load pattern during stepping-up motion in community-dwelling elderly women

• Published in: Archives of gerontology and geriatrics Vol. 66; pp. 205 - 210
• Main Authors: Araki, Kojiro, Ikezoe, Tome, Malinowska, Katarzyna, Masaki, Mitsuhiro, Okita, Yusuke, Fukumoto, Yoshihiro, Kimura, Misaka, Watanabe, Yuya, Kita, Kiyoshi, Tsuboyama, Tadao, Ichihashi, Noriaki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Ireland Ltd 01.09.2016
• Subjects: Aged; Aging - physiology; Elderly people; Exercise - physiology; Exercise Test; Female; Humans; Internal Medicine; Knee - physiology; Load pattern; Locomotion - physiology; Muscle, Skeletal - physiology; Physical function; Postural Balance - physiology; Stepping-up motion; Stepping-up motion; Elderly people; Load pattern; Physical function; elderly people; physical function; stepping-up motion; load pattern
• ISSN: 0167-4943; 1872-6976; 1872-6976
• DOI: 10.1016/j.archger.2016.06.005

•Stepping-up time at maximum speed was correlated with the maximum load at the lower level during stepping-up motion.•There was no significant relationship between the maximum load at the upper level and stepping-up time.•The stepping-up loading pattern in elderly women was related with various physical functions. Stepping-up motion is challenging task for elderly people in daily life. The present study investigated the relationship between the load pattern during stepping-up motion at maximum speed and physical function in elderly women. The subjects comprised 109 community-dwelling elderly women (age 72.5±5.3years). The load pattern (maximum load, rate of load production, and stepping-up time) during ascending a 30cm step at maximum speed was measured, using a step up platform that measures the load at the lower and upper level. Physical function, including hip and knee extensor strength and performance on the vertical jump test, one-legged stance test, timed “Up & Go” (TUG) test, and stepping test were measured. Pearson’s correlation analysis showed that stepping-up time was correlated with the maximum load at the lower level (r=−0.51), but not with the maximum load at the upper level. A multiple regression analysis showed that hip extensor strength and performance on the vertical jump, TUG, and stepping tests were significant determinants of the load pattern during stepping-up motion in the elderly women. Our study revealed that rapid stepping-up ability was more closely related to the maximum load during push-off at the lower level rather than that during weight loading on the upper level, and that the load pattern during stepping-up motion in elderly women was associated with various physical functions such as the hip extensor strength, leg muscle power, dynamic balance function, and agility.