Estimating Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Well‐Functioning Older Adults: Treadmill Validation of the Long Distance Corridor Walk

Abstract

A 400-m walk performed as part of the LDCW provides a valid estimate of peak VO2 in older adults. Incorporating low-cost, safe assessments of fitness in clinical and research settings can identify early evidence of physical decline and individuals who may benefit from therapeutic interventions.

Ambulatory Function in Men with and without HIV Infection: Association with Cardiorespiratory Fitness

“…The LDCW and cardiorespiratory testing was performed in 102 healthy adults aged 60 to 91 years and showed a strong correlation between 400-meter time and VO2peak (-0.79) [24]. In a final model that also included stride length, ending systolic blood pressure, and a nonlinear correction factor, the 400-meter time explained 62.5% of the variance in VO2peak.…”

“…Despite the small and homogeneous study population, the findings have several important Six-minute walk (6-MW); long distance corridor walk (LDCW) * Student's t-test Aging the mean time in the 400-meter walk is 4.07 minutes [24]. In community dwelling elderly adults each increased minute to perform the 400-meter walk is associated with a 29% increased mortality risk and 52% increased risk of mobility limitations [3].…”

“…Distance was measured to the nearest foot and then converted to meters. For the long distance corridor walk (LDCW) test subjects first completed a 2-minute warm up prior to the 400-meter timed walk [24]. The subjects were instructed to walk 10 laps around a 40 meter course marked by cones as quickly as possible without running.…”

Cardiovascular and metabolic complications during androgen deprivation: exercise as a potential countermeasure

“…58 This test for older adults has been shown to be a strong predictor of mortality, cardiovascular disease and mobility limitations in older adults. [59][60][61] Further, a recent study using an animal model has found that aerobic exercise has the potential to provide a protective effect against cardiac dysfunction during ADT. 62 Thus, aerobic and resistance exercise may be an effective method to minimize or overcome ADT cardiovascular-related toxicities.…”

Moving Beyond Static Body Composition Paradigms to Assessments of Change, Plasticity, and Function

“…Koster and colleagues 12 evaluated the ability of physical fitness to predict subsequent changes in body composition and muscle strength. The observation that physical fitness (as measured according to ability and time needed to complete a 400-m walk) 13,14 is related to differences in body composition and muscle strength is interesting but not particularly surprising. The major novel contribution of this study lies in the investigators' capacity to provide longitudinal data that, when stratified according to physical fitness, provides a dramatic illustration of the tremendous physiological variability and plasticity that different subsets of older adults experience as they age.…”