by Hiroe Sugimoto, Shinichi Demura and Yoshinori Nagasawa
Original Research
Effective exercise therapy in rehabilitation during maintenance period is important for the extension of life expectancy in the elderly patients with cardiac diseases. The effects of different participation frequencies in rehabilitation classes on physical functions in this cohort and their sex-related differences have been little examined. This study aimed to examine the effects of different participation frequency in rehabilitation classes on physical function, and sex-related differences. Participants were 167 elderly individuals with cardiac diseases during maintenance period (males, n = 78; mean age, 76.5 years; SD = 6.0 years; females, n = 89; mean age, 75.5 years; SD = 4.5 years) who registered for a 1-year twice a week exercise therapy program. They performed eight physical functioning tests 1 year later. Participants were classified into a low participation group that demonstrated <40% adherence (male, 17; female, 17) and a high participation group that demonstrated ≥70% adherence (male, 29; female, 46) based on participation rates in the exercise therapy program for 1 year. A significant interaction was found for one-legged balance with eyes open; this effect was stronger in the high participation group than in the low participation group in males, and higher in females than in males in the low participation group. Sit-ups and 6-min walking were superior in the high participation group compared with the low participation group. Males were superior in grip strength and sit-up. Females were superior in sitting trunk flexion. In conclusion, elderly patients with high participation frequency in rehabilitation classes were superior in muscle endurance and total endurance compared with those with low participation frequency. Males were superior in muscle strength and muscle endurance; females were superior in flexibility.
American Journal of Sports Science and Medicine. 2017, 5(1), 5-10. DOI: 10.12691/ajssm-5-1-2
Pub. Date: March 04, 2017
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by Hiroki Aoki, Shinichi Demura and Masato Ohno
Original Research
A certain pressure (static load) acts as grounding to support the human body during static standing. However, a pressure load from the leg (dynamic load) changes with time and may differ between stepping in place with eyes open and closed. This study aimed to examine the difference in foot pressure between the eyes open and closed conditions and among age-levels during stepping with a stipulated tempo. The participants were 86 healthy men aged between 10 and 80 years. Sample sizes for each decade’s age group ranged from 10 to 13. We measured their foot pressure while they stepped 20 times while matching a tempo of 100 bpm. A mean of left–right foot pressure (ratio of pressure to weight) of 20 times was used as an evaluation parameter. Stepping with eyes open and closed produced a significant, strong relationship (r = 0.90) in the foot pressure value. In the results of two-way ANOVA (eyes open/closed difference and age-level difference) and multiple comparisons, eye conditions showed a significant difference only in participants who were in their 80s, with greater foot pressure with eyes open. When stepping with eyes open, 10 and 20 age-levels had greater foot pressure than 50 to 80 age-levels, and 30 to 60 had greater pressure than 70 and 80 age-levels. When stepping with eyes closed, 10 and 20 age-levels had greater pressure than 40 to 80 age-levels, and 30 to 80 had greater pressure than 70 and 80 age-levels. Although the foot pressure value showed a significant linear regression with age both with eyes open and closed, an insignificant difference was found between regression coefficients. In conclusion, regardless of eyes open or closed, the foot pressure value during stepping with a stipulated tempo decreases with age and is low in the eyes closed condition compared to eyes open in the super elderly over 80-years-old, thus differing from other age-levels.
American Journal of Sports Science and Medicine. 2017, 5(1), 1-4. DOI: 10.12691/ajssm-5-1-1
Pub. Date: February 09, 2017
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