- 作者：Raffaele Molino-Lova ; raffmoli@tin.it ; rmolino@dongnocchi.it ; Guido Pasquini ; Federica Vannetti ; Anita Paperini ; Tatiana Forconi ; Renato Zipoli ; Paola Polcaro ; Francesca Cecchi ; Claudio Macchi
- 关键词：Gait economy ; Elderly ; Rehabilitation ; Physical activity
- 刊名：Gait and Posture
- 出版年：2012
- 期刊代码：106_09666362
- 类别：med
- 出版时间：March, 2012
- 卷：35
- 期：3
- 页码：458-461
- 文件大小：173 K
Background
To walk a given distance older persons consume more metabolic energy than younger adults across all speeds. As physical activity interventions improve a variety of physical performance measures in older persons, including walking speed, in this study we hypothesized that the improvement of walking speed might be associated with the reduction of the metabolic cost of walking and we tested our hypothesis in a selected sample of older patients receiving cardiac rehabilitation.Methods
In 120 patients (88 men and 32 women, mean age 74.1 years 卤 SD 5.0) we assessed energy expenditure during the 6-min Walk Test (6mWT) before and after the rehabilitation using a portable system for direct calorimetry.
Results
On the 6mWT performed after the rehabilitation patients significantly increased total energy expenditure (28.0 kcal 卤 SD 8.3 vs. 25.7 kcal 卤 SD 7.6, p < 0.001), the distance walked (398 m 卤 SD 93 vs. 343 m 卤 SD 95, p < 0.001) and, consequently, walking speed (1.11 m/s 卤 SD 0.26 vs. 0.95 m/s 卤 SD 0.26, p < 0.001) while the metabolic cost of walking, i.e. the amount of energy used to move a body mass of 1 kg for a distance of 1 m, was significantly reduced (1.00 cal/kg/m 卤 SD 0.19 vs. 1.11 cal/kg/m 卤 SD 0.32, p < 0.001).
Conclusions
In older patients receiving cardiac rehabilitation the improvement of walking speed is associated with the improvement of walking economy. This might be a contributory factor to the favourable effects of physical activity interventions on physical performance measures.