‘The Multiple-Sit-to-Stand’ Field Test for Older Adults: What Does It Measure?

Abstract

Background: The need to predict decline in functional status in a large number of older adults has brought researchers and clinicians to develop easy-to-administer field tests. One of them is the ‘multiple-sit-to-stand’ (MSTS), which claims to measure leg strength. Objective: To assess the extent to which the MSTS is a leg strength, leg endurance or general endurance test. Methods: 49 independently functioning women (72.2 ± 6.4 years) were assessed on the MSTS, on a submaximal stress test, and on strength and endurance of knee extensors measured by isokinetics. The knee extensors were selected, more than in other muscle groups responsible for movement of the lower extremity, as the largest range of motion, and the largest torques required while performing activities of daily living (ADL) is found in this group. Results: The correlation of the MSTS with the stress test was moderate and significant but very low and nonsignificant with the isokinetic measurements. Conclusions: The MTST is not able to predict strength of knee extensors, the leading group of leg muscles in ADL. If at all, it predicts general endurance rather than any measure – muscle strength or muscle endurance – of lower extremities. Longitudinal studies assessing the potential of the MSTS to predict deterioration in ADL in older adults are recommended, as well as studies assessing other factors related to both MSTS and ADL, such as muscle-nerve coordination affecting multiple joint activities.

A New Simple Performance Test Focused on Agility in Elderly People: The Ten Step Test

“…The timed sit-to-stand test 15 s as a possible agility test [17] could be given. This test is appropriate as an indicator of agility in the sense that it pertains to the quickness of systemic motion, but it also requires significant muscle endurance.…”

“…Representative components of the evaluation battery used to date include knee extensor strength and grip test (for muscle strength) and SLST and Functional Research test (for balancing function). Although no parameter of agility has been established, the timed stand up from the floor [16,17] , MRT [18] and so on are all possible parameters of agility. However, none of these tests reflect agility precisely, and all involve some problems such as difficult execution and low reliability.…”

Impaired Ability to Perform the Sit-to-Stand Task in Osteoporotic Women

“…Also, the sit-to-stand test is adequate to evaluate muscle power in elderly population (Zech et al, 2011). In a study conducted by Netz et al, 2004, they observed that the sit-to-stand test when performed 10 times consecutively, as fast as possible, is not able to predict knee extensor strength, but it can be used to predict general endurance. Also, they suggest that the peak aerobic capacity is related to the performance of the test.…”

“…The lack of difference in the spent time during the sit-tostand test is probably a consequence of the compensatory movement. This aspect has already been raised by Netz et al, 2004, since they discussed that the STS ten times not include the trunk control analysis. Hence, the evaluation of spent time to perform the STS test by itself would not be enough to identify impairment in the dynamic activity in women with greater bone losses and wrong conclusions about the muscle strength and balance characteristics could have been done.…”

The Criterion-Related Validity of the Ten Step Test Compared with Motor Reaction Time

“…Various indicators have been proposed to evaluate physical fitness in elderly people in the field of geriatric medicine and physical therapy [7][8][9][10][11] . According to these proposals, muscle strength of the legs and standing balance are two of the most important factors in evaluating physical fitness.…”