SEARCHCOHORTgeriatrics, epidemiology

cohort·geriatrics, epidemiology, public health, internal medicine, research methods·PMC10024004

Moderate-intensity stepping in older adults: insights from treadmill walking and daily living

The International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity · 10 authors, 3 centres

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This cross-sectional study recruited 53 community-dwelling older adults (median age 75, BMI 28.0 kg/m², 45.3% women) to investigate the step cadence threshold for moderate-intensity physical activity. Segmented generalised estimating equations modelled the cadence–MET relationship. The predicted cadence at 3 METS_standard was 70.3 (95% CI 61.4, 75.8) steps/minute, substantially below the widely used 100 steps/minute threshold. At 2 km/h, median METS_standard already exceeded 3. Limitations include the small sample size, potential postprandial elevation of MET values during treadmill testing, absence of metabolic data during free-living, and generalisability concerns. The findings suggest that a lower cadence threshold may be appropriate for older adults, though specificity at 70 steps/minute is lower than at 100 steps/minute.

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cohort

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geriatrics

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ORIGINAL PAPER

PMC10024004

Moderate-intensity stepping in older adults: insights from treadmill walking and daily living

The International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity

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ABSTRACT

Abstract Background A step cadence of 100 steps/minute is widely used to define moderate-intensity walking. However, the generalizability of this threshold to different populations needs further research. We investigate moderate-intensity step cadence values during treadmill walking and daily living in older adults. Methods Older adults (≥ 60 years) were recruited from urban community venues. Data collection included 7 days of physical activity measured by an activPAL3™ thigh worn device, followed by a laboratory visit involving a 60-min assessment of resting metabolic rate, then a treadmill assessment with expired gas measured using a breath-by-breath analyser and steps measured by an activPAL3™. Treadmill stages were undertaken in a random order and lasted 5 min each at speeds of 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 km/h. Metabolic equivalent values were determined for each stage as standardised values (METS standard ) and as multiples of resting metabolic rate (METS relative ). A value of 3 METS standard defined moderate-intensity stepping. Segmented generalised estimating equations modelled the association between step cadence and MET values. Results The study included 53 participants (median age = 75, years, BMI = 28.0 kg/m 2 , 45.3% women). At 2 km/h, the median METS standard and METS relative values were above 3 with a median cadence of 81.00 (IQR 72.00, 88.67) steps/minute. The predicted cadence at 3 METS standard was 70.3 (95% CI 61.4, 75.8) steps/minute. During free-living, participants undertook median (IQR) of 6988 (5933, 9211) steps/day, of which 2554 (1297, 4456) steps/day were undertaken in continuous stepping bouts lasting ≥ 1 min. For bouted daily steps, 96.4% (90.7%, 98.9%) were undertaken at ≥ 70 steps/minute. Conclusion A threshold as low as 70 steps/minute may be reflective of moderate-intensity stepping in older adults, with the vast majority of all bouted free-living stepping occurring above this threshold. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12966-023-01429-x. Keywords: Cadence, Metabolic equivalents (METS), Older adults, Physical activity, Resting metabolic rate, Stepping

CITATION EXPORT

T Yates, J Henson, P McBride et al.. Moderate-intensity stepping in older adults: insights from treadmill walking and daily living. The International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-023-01429-x

AUTHORS

10 · 3 CENTRES

T Yates, J Henson, P McBride, B Maylor, L Y Herring, J A Sargeant, M J Davies, P C Dempsey, A V Rowlands, C L Edwardson

1Diabetes Research Centre, College of Life Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
2NIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust and University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
3Leicester Diabetes Centre, University Hospitals of Leicester National Health Service Trust, Leicester, UK