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Assessment of fatigability of older women during sit-to-stand performance

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Abstract

Background

Fatigability of older adults is relevant with regard to physical performance, falls and physical activity. Objective and inexpensive assessment tools for testing fatigability in the persons’ home environment are not available.

Aims

The aim of this study was to develop a protocol to objectively measure fatigability during repeated sit-to-stand performance in older persons.

Methods

Decrease of maximum velocity of performance during repeated sit-to-stand transfers and the number of repetition when achieving a 10, 15, and 20 % fatigue threshold were measured in 49 community-dwelling older women using a linear encoder.

Results

Mean maximum velocity of the sit-to-stand performance was 1.12 m/s (SD 0.17 m/s) with an estimated change of velocity per repetition of −0.0037 m/s (95 % CI −0.0039 to −0.0035) during the test. The mean number of repetitions representing 10, 15, and 20 % fatigue threshold was 8.1, 13.8, and 21, respectively.

Discussion

This simple test protocol provides objective information about the decrease of performance of a daily task in older adults.

Conclusion

Fatigability of the sit-to-stand performance can be measured objectively by measuring the decrease of maximum velocity of consecutive repetitions and the repetition number achieving a 20 % fatigue threshold.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Aileen Currie for proof-reading the manuscript and declare that they have no conflict of interest. The study was funded by the German Research Council (BE 2338/2-1). The funding bodies had no role in study design; collection, analysis, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to submit the manuscript for publication.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geriatrics, Clinic for Geriatric Rehabilitation, Robert-Bosch-Hospital, Auerbachstr. 110, 70376, Stuttgart, Germany

    Ulrich Lindemann, Jochen Klenk & Clemens Becker

  2. Institute of Epidemiology and Medical Biometry, Ulm University, Helmholtzstr. 18-22, 89081, Ulm, Germany

    Jochen Klenk

Authors
  1. Ulrich Lindemann
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  2. Jochen Klenk
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  3. Clemens Becker
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ulrich Lindemann.

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Conflict of interest

On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.

Informed consent

Written informed consent was obtained from all individual participant included in the study prior to data collection.

Human and animal rights

All procedures performed in this study involving human participants were in accordance with the standards of the ethic committee of the local university and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Lindemann, U., Klenk, J. & Becker, C. Assessment of fatigability of older women during sit-to-stand performance. Aging Clin Exp Res 28, 889–893 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-015-0495-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-015-0495-0

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