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PubMed2004

Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition, body composition, and physical performance in aged rats.

This study was designed to test the effects of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition on body composition and physical performance in aged rats. Male Brown Norway x F344 rats were randomized to receive daily injections of enalapril (40 mg/kg or 80 mg/kg) or saline from 24 to 30 months of age. Body composition was determined using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and physical performance was assessed using the grip strength and inclined plane procedures. Performance measures were assessed at baseline and monthly thereafter. DXA was performed at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months of follow-up. Compared with the enalapril groups, the saline group experienced a greater 6-month decline in the physical performance measures. Lean body mass declined in both groups; however, the enalapril groups also experienced a significant loss of fat mass. These results suggest that ACE inhibition may prevent age-related declines in physical performance, which may be mediated by a reduction in body fat mass.

Age Factors↗

PubMed2006

Disability and depression: investigating a complex relation using physical performance measures.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to examine the relation of physical performance measures with depressive symptoms in older men. METHOD: A cross-sectional, multivariate comparison of several measures of upper- and lower-extremity performance and their relation with depressive symptoms was performed in 2,856 older Japanese American men, aged 71-93 years, who participated in the fourth examination of the Honolulu Heart Program. Depressive symptoms were measured using an 11-item version of Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) Scale. A score of at least 9 (from a maximum score of 33) is considered clinically significant. Timed functional performance tests, including walking and repeated chair stands, were used to assess lower-extremity performance; handgrip strength was used as an indicator of upper-extremity performance. RESULTS: Two hundred eighty-three participants (9.9%) had a score of 9 or greater on the 11-question CES-D Scale and were considered to be at high risk for depression. Time to walk 10 feet and time to complete five chair stands were significantly longer in those with depressive symptoms, whereas handgrip strength was significantly lower. Only the association of gait speed (time to walk 10 feet) and depressive symptoms remained significant when all physical performance measures were simultaneously included in a multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate physical performance measures, particularly gait speed, may be important potential correlates of depression in community-dwelling older men.

Aged↗

PubMed2001

Evaluation of pharmacological aids on physical performance after a transmeridian flight.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate physical performance (static and dynamic) of U.S. Air Force reservists after an eastbound air travel across seven time zones and to estimate the pharmacological aids slow-release caffeine and melatonin versus placebo in attempt to overcome the decline in performance. METHODS: 27 American volunteers were randomly divided into three groups: caffeine 300 mg, melatonin 5 mg, and placebo (lactose capsules). Two days before the flight and 10 d after, three tests were performed: hand grip strength test (static performance), squat jump test (maximal height), and multiple jump test (power and endurance). All measures were repeated twice a day: morning and afternoon. RESULTS: In placebo conditions, the static performance of the dominant hand decreased significantly during the first three mornings and tended to decrease the fourth morning. Simultaneously, the caffeine group's static performance increased significantly, whereas the melatonin group maintained its levels. No significant differences were observed the afternoons. No statistical differences appeared for the nondominant hand in the mornings or afternoons. Dynamic capacities presented no significant degradation after the travel. In the placebo group, for the squat jump test, performance increased from the fourth day. No real explanation can be given about this result. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated that slow-release caffeine and melatonin might be used to compensate for jet-lag troubles and particularly for the static physical performance decrease. The slow-release caffeine seems to be the best treatment, but its effects are only demonstrated on previously damaged performance. These preliminary results need further investigation, but we are the first to report a beneficial effect of slow-release caffeine and melatonin on physical performances after jet-lag.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

A physical performance measure for individuals with mucopolysaccharidosis type I.

The purpose of this article is threefold: (1) to describe the development, reliability, and validity of a revised physical performance measure for individuals with mucopolysaccharidosis type I (MPS I); (2) to standardize the test on a normal sample; and (3) to compare results from a selected sample of individuals with MPS I with age-based centiles. The MPS Physical Performance Measure (MPS-PPM) is composed of eight timed functional tasks (FT-8) and two endurance tasks with a modified Energy Expenditure Index for comfortable walking (CW) and fast walking (FW) speeds. Age norms were derived from a convenience sample of 150 typically developing children and adolescents (75 males, 75 females; mean age 11y 2mo [SD 4y 5mo]; range 5-22y). Using a Rasch model for speed tests and confirmatory factor analysis, we established the unidimensionality of the FT-8. Interrater reliability of the FT-8 (intraclass correlation [ICC]=0.98) and test-retest reliability of the FT-8 (ICC=0.96), CW (ICC=0.91), and FW (ICC=0.83) were good. Results of the age-based profiles in 10 individuals with MPS I (five males, five females; mean age 14y 2mo [SD 7y 6mo]; range 6-29y) indicate that the amount of time needed to perform functional tasks is severely affected by the disease, and most individuals were at or below the fifth centile for their age. The patterns of limitations in endurance were more varied. These results suggest the utility of using this revised MPS-PPM to identify the extent of limitation in age-expected physical performance. Implications for using the MPS-PPM for monitoring physical performance changes during clinical interventions are discussed.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed2002

Associations of body composition with physical performance and self-reported functional limitation in elderly men and women.

To understand how body composition relates to functional impairment, the authors examined cross-sectional associations of absolute and relative measures of fat and lean mass with physical performance and self-reported functional limitation. The sample consisted of a community-based cohort of 1,655 older women and men from Sonoma, California, who had complete baseline data in 1993-1994 on body composition, physical performance, and functional limitation. Physical performance was assessed by walking speed and grip strength, while global functional limitation, across several domains, was assessed by self-report using standard questions. Lean mass and fat mass were estimated from bioelectric impedance using population-specific prediction equations derived from dual x-ray energy absorptiometry. Higher fat mass was associated with slower walking speed and greater likelihood of functional limitation, while higher lean mass was generally associated only with increased grip strength. A higher lean mass-to-fat mass ratio, a relative measure of body composition, was associated with faster walking speed and less limitation. These findings suggest that fat mass negatively impacts some domains of physical performance and overall functioning, while lean mass is less significant in absolute terms but is important relative to amount of body fat.

Adipose Tissue↗

PubMed2001

Reliability of power in physical performance tests.

The reliability of power in tests of physical performance affects the precision of assessment of athletes, patients, clients and study participants. In this meta-analytic review we identify the most reliable measures of power and the factors affecting reliability. Our measures of reliability were the typical (standard) error of measurement expressed as a coefficient of variation (CV) and the percent change in the mean between trials. We meta-analysed these measures for power or work from 101 studies of healthy adults. Measures and tests with the smallest CV in exercise of a given duration include field tests of sprint running (approximately 0.9%), peak power in an incremental test on a treadmill or cycle ergometer (approximately 0.9%), equivalent mean power in a constant-power test lasting 1 minute to 3 hours on a treadmill or cycle ergometer (0.9 to 2.0%), lactate-threshold power (approximately 1.5%), and jump height or distance (approximately 2.0%). The CV for mean power on isokinetic ergometers was relatively large (> 4%). CV were larger for nonathletes versus athletes (1.3 x), female versus male nonathletes (1.4 x), shorter (approximately 1-second) and longer (approximately 1-hour) versus 1-minute tests (< or = 1.6 x), and respiratory- versus ergometer-based measures of power (1.4 to 1.6 x). There was no clear-cut effect of time between trials. The importance of a practice trial was evident in studies with > 2 trials: the CV between the first 2 trials was 1.3 times the CV between subsequent trials; performance also improved by 1.2% between the first 2 trials but by only 0.2% between subsequent trials. These findings should help exercise practitioners and researchers select or design good measures and protocols for tests of physical performance.

Ergometry↗

PubMed1989

[Physical performance of patients on regular dialysis therapy].

1. Patients having regular dialyzation treatment have a 50% physical performance, as compared with the common population matched for age, already at the onset of treatment. 2. Physical performance does not depend on the level of residual glomerular filtration, on the mean urea concentration in the course of dialyzation treatment and the variations of urea concentrations during dialysis and intervals between dialysis. 3. Physical performance of patients having regular dialyzation treatment depends in a significant way on nutrition. 4. While during renal disease the performance of patients declined by 43%, in the course of ten years of regular dialyzation treatment it declined only by 21%. This fact indicates that already during the period of conservative treatment the patients should have an adequate diet and should engage in exercise to keep fit. Also during regular treatment, in addition to adequate dialysis, the patients should have an adequate diet and an opportunity to engage in physical exercise.

Adult↗

PubMed1976

Changes in muscle fibre size and physical performance in patients with rheumatoid arthritis after 7 months physical training.

Ten patients with rheumatoid arthritis of moderate severity were given 7 months' physical training. During the investigation period the patiens improved their physical performance capacity as well as they lowered their rate of perceived exertion during submaximum exercise. There was a small increase in muscle fibre size and a correlation was found between muscle strength and type II fibre size. Clinical examination and X-ray studies did not reveal any further joint destruction during the investigation period.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Development of physical selection procedures for the British Army. Phase 2: relationship between physical performance tests and criterion tasks.

This paper is the second in a series of three to describe the development of physical selection standards for the British Army. The first paper defined criterion tasks (single lift, carry, repetitive lift and carry, and loaded march tasks) and set standards on the criterion tasks for all British Army trades. The principal objective was to determine which combination of physical performance tests could be best used to predict criterion task performance. Secondary objectives included developing so-called 'gender-free' and 'gender-unbiased' models. The objectives were met by analysing performance data on the criterion tasks and a large battery of physical performance tests collected from 379 trained soldiers (mean age 23.5 (SD 4.45) years, stature 1734 (SD 79.5) mm, body mass 71.4 (SD 10.58) kg). Objective 1 was met: the most predictive physical performance tests were identified for all criterion tasks. Both single lift tasks were successfully modelled using muscle strength and fat free mass scores. The carry model incorporated muscle endurance and body size data, but the errors of prediction were large. The repetitive lift models included measures of muscle strength and endurance, and body size, but errors of prediction were also large. The loaded march tasks were successfully modelled incorporating indices of aerobic fitness, supplemented by measures of strength, endurance or body size and composition. The secondary objectives were partially fulfilled, though limitations in the data hampered the process. Although only one model (a loaded march) was gender-free, three models were gender-related (i.e. contained 'gender' explicitly in the model). The remaining six were gender-specific (i.e. were appropriate for men or for women). Owing to both a lower accuracy of prediction in women's scores and a greater tendency for the women's scores to be distributed around the pass standards, a greater percentage of women than men were misclassified as passing or failing, resulting in indirect discrimination. A validation of the models in a separate sample of the user population of recruits is reported in the third paper in this series.

Adult↗

PubMed1998

The impact of physical performance and cognitive status on subsequent ADL disability in low-functioning older adults.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine the independent contributions of physical performance and cognitive status to subsequent levels of ADL disability in low-functioning non-institutionalized older adults. METHODS: A prospective cohort study included 416 women and 141 men 57 years or older who were living in the community and who reported substantial physical limitation. Physical performance and cognitive status were assessed at baseline in 1993. ADL disability was assessed at baseline and in two follow-ups in 1994 and 1995. Data were analysed with correlation analyses and linear multiple regressions. RESULTS: Both physical performance and ADL disability at baseline were highly predictive of subsequent ADL disability. Although cognitive status was slightly related to (subsequent) ADL disability, we found no independent contributions of cognitive status to subsequent ADL disability. CONCLUSIONS: Measures of both physical performance and ADL disability may identify older low-functioning adults who may benefit from interventions to prevent them from further disablement.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed1990

Serum hormones and physical performance capacity in young boy athletes during a 1-year training period.

Serum hormones and physical performance capacity in boy athletes (AG; n = 19) were investigated during a 1-year training period (between the ages of 11.6 and 12.6 years). Six young untrained boys served as the control group (CG). The mean serum testosterone concentration increased significantly in AG (P less than 0.05) following the training period from 2.92 nmol.l-1, SD 1.04 to 5.81 nmol.l-1, SD 1.33. Significant differences were not observed in the cortisol, sex hormone binding globulin and growth hormone levels during the follow-up period. The AG clearly increased speed (P less than 0.001), speed-strength (P less than 0.01-P less than 0.001) and anaerobic capacity (P less than 0.001) whereas CG had only slight increases (NS) in physical performance capacity during a 1-year period. During the last 6-month training period significant positive correlations (r = 0.49-0.58; P less than 0.05-P less than 0.01) were observed in AG between the relative changes in testosterone, testosterone:cortisol ratio and growth hormone and the relative performance change in speed, maximal isometric force and endurance, respectively. At the end of the period significant positive correlations were observed in all subjects between the level of testosterone and speed-strength (r = 0.52-0.64; P less than 0.01-P less than 0.001) and anaerobic capacity (r = 0.49; P less than 0.05). It was concluded that an increase in anabolic activity with the synchronous training already has positive effects on trainability and physical performance capacity at an early stage in puberty.

Anaerobiosis↗

PubMed2002

Physical performance tasks: what are the underlying constructs?

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the structural validity of a battery of physical performance tasks and to investigate the construct validity of the resulting factors. DESIGN: A measurement study. SETTING: A large, private orthopedic clinic and a physical therapy clinic in an urban area. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred three consecutive adult patients with low back pain who were referred for physical therapy assessment. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The physical performance battery was composed of the 50-foot speed walk, 5-minute walk, repeated trunk flexion, sit to stand, loaded reach, rollover tasks, and Sorensen upper-body lift. Participants also completed 5 self-report measures. RESULTS: Two correlated (.74) factors, speed and coordination and endurance and strength, were derived from the physical performance tasks. The Sorenson upper-body lift task was the only indicator that was not useful in defining the factors. Both factors had statistically significant correlations with measures of physical disability, lack of self-efficacy, and negative affect. Both factors had a trivial correlation with a numeric rating of pain intensity. CONCLUSIONS: There is support for 2 meaningful empiric groupings (ie, the derived factors) of the performance tasks. Pain intensity had a trivial overlap with speed-coordination and endurance-strength factors.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Validity of simple field tests as indicators of match-related physical performance in top-level professional soccer players.

The aim of this study was to examine the construct validity of selected field tests as indicators of match-related physical performance. During the competitive season, eighteen professional soccer players (age 26.2 +/- 4.5 yrs, mass 80.8 +/- 7.8 kg, and height 181.9 +/- 3.7 cm) completed an incremental running field test to exhaustion, a vertical-jump and a repeated-sprint ability (RSA) test. Match physical performance was quantified during official matches using a video-computerized, semi-automatic, match analysis image recognition system, (ProZone, Leeds, UK). The selected measures of match physical performance were: total distance covered (TD), high intensity running (HIR: > 14.4 km . h (-1)), very high intensity running (VHIR:> 19.8 km . h (-1)), sprinting (> 25.2 km . h (-1)) and top running speed. Significant correlations were found between peak speed reached during the incremental field test and TD (r = 0.58, R (2) = 0.34; p < 0.05), HIR (r = 0.65, R (2) = 0.42; p < 0.01) and VHIR (r = 0.64, R (2) = 0.41; p < 0.01). Significant correlations were also found between RSA mean time and VHIR (r = - 0.60, R (2) = 0.36; p < 0.01) and sprinting distance (r = - 0.65, R (2) = 0.42; p < 0.01). Significant differences were found between the best and worst group as defined by the median split technique for peak speed (TD = 12 011 +/- 747 m vs. 10 712 +/- 669, HIR = 3192 +/- 482 m vs. 2314 +/- 347 m, and VHIR = 1014 +/- 120 vs. 779 +/- 122 m, respectively; p < 0.05) and RSA mean time (VHIR = 974 +/- 162 m vs. 819 +/- 144 m, and sprinting = 235 +/- 56 vs. 164 +/- 58 m, respectively; p < 0.05). In conclusion, this study gives empirical support to the construct validity of RSA and incremental running tests as measures of match-related physical performance in top-level professional soccer players.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Association of physical performance measures with bone mineral density in postmenopausal women.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between physical performance measures and bone mineral density (BMD) in older women. DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis. SETTING: University research laboratory. PARTICIPANTS: Healthy postmenopausal women (N=116; mean age +/- standard deviation, 68.3+/-6.8y) in self-reported good health who were not taking medications known to affect bone, including hormone replacement therapy. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Anthropometrics and BMD of the hip, spine, whole body, and forearm. Physical performance measures included normal and brisk 8-m gait speed, normal step length (NSL), brisk step length (BSL), timed 1-leg stance (OLS), timed sit-to-stand (STS), and grip strength. RESULTS: NSL, BSL, normal gait speed, brisk gait speed, OLS, and grip strength correlated significantly with several skeletal sites ( r range, .19-.38; P <.05). In multiple regression models containing body mass index, hours of total activity, total calcium intake, and age of menarche, NSL, BSL, normal and brisk gait speeds, OLS, and grip strength were all significantly associated with BMD of various skeletal sites (adjusted R 2 range, .11-.24; P <.05). Analysis of covariance showed that subjects with longer step lengths and faster normal and brisk gait speeds had higher BMD at the whole body, hip, and spine (brisk speed only). Those with a longer OLS had greater femoral neck BMD, and those with a stronger grip strength had greater BMD in the whole body and forearm ( P <.05). STS was not related to any skeletal site. CONCLUSIONS: Normal and brisk gait speed, NSL, BSL, OLS, and grip strength are all associated with BMD at the whole body, hip, spine, and forearm. Physical performance evaluation may help with osteoporosis prevention and treatment programs for postmenopausal women when bone density scores have not been obtained or are unavailable.

Aged↗

PubMed2003

Fear of pain, physical performance, and attentional processes in patients with fibromyalgia.

Patients with fibromyalgia often present with increased levels of disability and physical functioning, for which the determinants are still unclear. In patients with other musculoskeletal pain syndromes, such as chronic low back pain, physical performance and disability levels are shown to be strongly associated with pain-related fear, and even stronger than pain severity. The present study was aimed at examining the role of pain-related fear and attentional processes on tolerance for physical activity in fibromyalgia patients. High and low fearful fibromyalgia patients (N=81) were requested to perform a physical task, a cognitive (reaction time) task, and a dual task in which the physical and cognitive tasks were combined. It was hypothesized that high fearful patients would terminate the physical performance task sooner than low fearful patients, and would show a greater disruption on the cognitive task. In addition, it was expected that when distracted in the dual task, high fearful patients would show improved performance on the physical task after a fear reduction instruction. The results showed that pain itself was a greater predictor of activity tolerance than pain-related fear, but that pain-related fear was the stronger predictor of reaction times on the cognitive task. Also, all groups showed equal improvement in physical performance in the dual task. The findings suggest that baseline pain acts as an occasion setter which determines the level of physical activity the patient is willing to perform, regardless of pain increase and threat-reducing instructions.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Body composition and physical performance during a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men's soccer season.

The purpose of this study was to examine changes in body composition (BC) and physical performance tests (PT) resulting from a competitive season in soccer. Twenty-five male collegiate players (age = 19.9 +/- 1.3 years; height = 177.6 +/- 6.4 cm; body mass = 77.6 +/- 8.6 kg, and percentage body fat = 12.8 +/- 5.2%) were tested before (PRE) and after (POST) the 2003-2004 National Collegiate Athletic Association season. The following tests were performed: BC (anthropometric and dual energy x-ray absorptiometry measurements), vertical jump (VJ), 9.1-m (9 m) and 36.5-m (36 m) sprint, lower-body power (LP), total body power (TP), and cardiorespiratory endurance (VO(2)max). Training was divided into soccer-specific training: field warm-up drills, practices, games, and additional conditioning sessions. A daily, unplanned, nonlinear periodization model was used to assign session volume and intensity for strength sessions (total repetitions < or =96 and workload was > or =80% of 1 repetition maximum). For the entire team, body mass significantly increased by 1.5 +/- 0.4 kg from PRE to POST due to a significant increase in total lean tissue (0.9 +/- 0.2 kg). Regionally, lean tissue mass significantly increased in the legs (0.4 +/- 0.0 kg) and trunk (0.3 +/- 0.1 kg). Physical performance variables were very similar for the entire team at PRE and POST; VJ (cm) = 61.9 +/- 7.1 PRE vs. 63.3 +/- 8.0 POST, 9.1-m (s) = 1.7 +/- 0.1 PRE and POST, 36.5-m (s) = 5.0 +/- 0.2 PRE and POST, predicted VO(2)max (ml.kg.min(-1))= 59.8 +/- 3.3 PRE vs. 60.9 +/- 3.4 POST. The only significant improvements across the season were for TP (17.3%) and for LP (10.7%). In conclusion, soccer athletes who begin a season with a high level of fitness can maintain, and in some cases improve, body composition and physical performance from before to after a competitive season. A correct combination of soccer-specific practices and strength and conditioning programs can maintain and develop physical performance, allowing a soccer athlete to perform optimally throughout pre-, in-, and postseason play.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗

PubMed2006

Endogenous testosterone levels, physical performance, and fall risk in older men.

BACKGROUND: Gonadal steroid levels decline with age in men. Whether low testosterone levels affect the development of common age-related disorders, including physical functioning and falling, is unclear. METHODS: This longitudinal, observational follow-up study sought to determine whether low testosterone levels are associated with physical performance and fall risk in older men. A total of 2587 community-based men aged 65 to 99 years were selected using a stratified random sampling scheme from a study cohort of 5995 volunteers. Bioavailable testosterone and estradiol levels and physical performance measures were determined from baseline. Incident falls were ascertained every 4 months during 4 years of follow-up. Generalized estimating equations were used to estimate risk ratios for the relation of sex steroids to falls. RESULTS: Fifty-six percent of the men reported at least 1 fall; many fell frequently. Lower bioavailable testosterone levels were associated with increased fall risk. Men with testosterone levels in the lowest quartile had a 40% higher fall risk than those in the highest quartile. The effect of low testosterone levels was most apparent in younger men (65-69 years) (relative risk, 1.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.2-2.7); testosterone level was not associated with falls in the oldest men (>/=80 years). Lower testosterone concentrations were associated with reduced physical performance. However, the association between low testosterone levels and fall risk persisted despite adjustment for performance. CONCLUSIONS: Falls were common among older men. Fall risk was higher in men with lower bioavailable testosterone levels. The effect of testosterone level was independent of poorer physical performance, suggesting that the effect of testosterone on fall risk may be mediated by other androgen actions.

Accidental Falls↗

PubMed1986

Age trends in maximal physical performance: comparison and evaluation of models.

Versions of five paradigmatic models of age change in maximal physical performance were compared with respect to internal and validational data. The models were termed power output, power supply, energy output-supply, motivation, and sampling. The power output models tended to be more stringent in terms of internal criteria. The model that best predicted the validational data (i.e., from studies of reaction time, strength assessment, and athletic records) was from the energy output-supply category. This model, the power output relative to power available (POrPA) model, postulates that deterioration with age in physical performance varies with the ratio of peak power output to available power: the numerator generally varies with the strength demands of the task, and the denominator varies with task duration at high power output. The implications of this model were discussed with respect to habitual physical performances in later life.

Adult↗