Determination of functional fitness age in women aged 50 and older

Abstract

Background The construction of useful and attainable indicators of fitness assessment deserves special attention in clinical practice. We aimed to construct an indicator of the functional fitness age (FFA) of women aged 50 and older by an equation using fitness outcomes and its correlation with chronological age (CA) and to analyze the external validity of our results by comparing our sample to others. Methods Participants ( n = 459, age: 70.3 ± 7.9 years, mean ± SD) were evaluated using the Senior Fitness Test battery. We applied a multiple regression and a subsequent Holt's exponential smoothing to analyze the outcomes. Results We obtained a statistically significant expression of F (6, 452) = 328.384; p < 0.0005 in which the coefficients of the equation explain 81% of variability ( R 2 corrected = 0.813). The equation correlates fitness assessment in women aged 50 and over with regards to CA: FFA = 40.146 + 0.350 × CS (stand) − 0.714 × AC (rep) − 0.110 × ST (step) − 0.177 × CSR (cm) − 0.101 × BS (cm) + 8.835 × FUG (s) where CS means chair stand test, AC means arm curl test, ST means 2-min step test, CSR means chair sit-and-reach test, BS means back scratch test, FUG means 8-foot up-and-go test. We compared this index with percentiles distribution from our sample and from other studies. Conclusion We suggest the use of FFA as a valid indicator of fitness in adult and senior women as well as a useful motivational tool to undertake exercise programs.

Age score for assessing motor function in Chinese older men

“…We used several items of physical fitness that were characterized by low technical difficulty and high test safety [21,26]. Our validation test showed that the mean physical fitness age in the exercised older adults was significantly lower than chronological age.…”

“…It is indicated that physical fitness age is a valid assessment to evaluate motor performance in elderly men. Several researchers have emphasized the importance of providing a comprehensive assessment to evaluate motor performance rather than individual series of test results [19,21]. If a feedback of test result is only composed of respective measurement values, it is difficult to know the level of motor performance, particularly for the older individuals whose capacity of understanding may be lower than younger ones (cognitive function typically declines with aging).…”

“…The selection of motor performance items was crucially important for studies, and they may be influenced by races. For instance, Latorre-Rojas et al [21] utilized chair stand, arm curl, 2-min step, chair sit-and-reach, back scratch and 8-foot up-and-go, while Nakagaichi et al [27] employed grip strength, balancing on one leg with eyes open, 30 s chair stand and figure-of-8 walking test to develop physical fitness age for Spanish and Japanese respectively. The selecting principle of test items in our study was similar to previous studies [15,[22][23][24].…”

“…They are suitable to assess individual motor performance for different age groups. Latorre-Rojas et al [21], demonstrated that the physical fitness age is a valid indicator of motor performance in adult and elderly individuals, as well as a useful motivational tool to undertake exercise programs. Though several equations of physical fitness age have been developed by researchers from different countries, due to the influence possibly caused by different races, test items and methods, whether these equations are applicable to the Chinese individuals is still unknown.…”

Effect of Aging on the Lower Limb Kinematics in Karate Practitioners: Comparing Athletes and Their Senseis

“…After the age of 40, the decline of neuromuscular functions undergoes a decrease in the velocity of contraction, and Keller and Engelhardt [13] report a reduction in the capacity of force production starting at the age of veterans group, but other studies point to the reduction of this capacity only after 60 years old [3, 12, 14]. Although there is a generalized decline in bodily functions in older people, exercise and sports appear as an inverse feature to this decline [15, 16]. In addition to preventing the deterioration of body functions in the elderly, physical activity is associated with a better quality of life, specifically in physical activity indicators such as leg extension strength or walking speed [17], and individuals with higher levels of physical activity have showed the lowest relation to all-cause mortality [18].…”