Excess body weight and gait influence energy cost of walking in older adults.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

The objective of this investigation is to study how excess body weight influences the energy cost of walking (Cw) and determine whether overweight and obese older adults self-select stride frequency to minimize Cw.

Methods

Using body mass index (BMI), men and women between the ages of 65 and 80 yr were separated into normal weight (NW, BMI ≤24.9 kg·m(-2), n = 13) and overweight-obese groups (OWOB, BMI ≥25.0 kg·m(-2), n = 13). Subjects walked at 0.83 m·s on an instrumented treadmill that recorded gait parameters and completed three 6-min walking trials; at a preferred stride frequency (PSF), at +10% PSF, and at -10% PSF. Cw was determined by indirect calorimetry. Repeated-measures ANOVA was used to compare groups, and associations were tested with Pearson correlations

SUBMITTER: Laroche DP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4362814 | biostudies-literature | 2015 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature