30s Chair Stand Power is Significantly Lower in Senior Walking Aid Users Versus Non-Users.

Abstract

The ability to produce skeletal muscle power is directly associated with functional independence. With age there is a loss of skeletal muscle power, leaving the elderly vulnerable to risks of falling and a loss of independence. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the difference in lower body muscle power between walking-aid users (WA) and non-walking aid users (NWA). To determine lower body power a linear regression equation designed to compute lower body power from a 30s chair stand test was used. METHODS: Thirty-nine residents from an extended-car facility (age = 86.13 + 6.31 years) performed a 30s chair stand test. The number of chair stands achieved, along with their body weights, was entered into a linear equation and peak lower body power was computed. An independent T-test was used to assess differences between the WA group and the NWA group. RESULTS: The t-test revealed that the WA group (4.96 + 3.0 W·kg−1) produced significantly less peak power than the NWA group (8.16 + 3.0 W·kg−1), p<.05. CONCLUSION: This study revealed that there was a statistically significant difference in lower body power outputs computed from a 30s chair stand equation between walking-aid users and non-users It remains to be determined to what degree walking aid use may have contributed to this loss of power; however, these results do indicate that the 30s chair stand equation may be an effective tool in assessing differences in power leading to losses in mobility in older individuals.