Abstract
BackgroundCardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is associated with a decreased risk of all-cause mortality but is rarely assessed in medical settings due to burdens of time, cost, risk, and resources. The purpose of this study was to test the construct validity of a regression equation developed by Jurca and colleagues (2005) to estimate CRF without exercise testing in community dwelling older adults.MethodsParticipants (n = 172) aged 60 to 80 years with no contraindications to submaximal or maximal exercise testing completed a maximal graded exercise test (GXT) and the submaximal Rockport 1-mile walk test on separate occasions. Data included in the regression equation (age, sex, body mass index, resting heart rate, and physical activity) were obtained via measurement or self-report. Participants also reported presence of cardiovascular conditions.ResultsThe multiple R for the regression equation was .72, p < .001 and CRF estimated from this equation was significantly correlated with the MET value from the GXT (r = 0.66) and with CRF estimated from submaximal field testing (r = 0.67). All three CRF indices were significantly and inversely associated with reporting more cardiovascular conditions.ConclusionsThis research provides preliminary evidence that a non-exercise estimate of CRF is at least as valid as field test estimates of CRF and represents a low-risk, low-cost, and expedient method for estimating fitness in older adults.
Highlights
Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is associated with a decreased risk of all-cause mortality but is rarely assessed in medical settings due to burdens of time, cost, risk, and resources
The increasing constraints of time, resources, and potential risk associated with assessing CRF by the “gold standard” method of graded exercise testing (GXT) make it all but impossible
A total of 106 participants were excluded from the original sample due to the presence of medical conditions that may have been exacerbated by physical activity or circumstances that interfered with cognitive testing by magnetic resonance imaging
Summary
Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is associated with a decreased risk of all-cause mortality but is rarely assessed in medical settings due to burdens of time, cost, risk, and resources. Alternatives to a GXT are typically submaximal field tests Examples of these include the Rockport 1-mile walk test [7] for estimating CRF, the Long Distance Corridor Walk (LDCW) [8,9], and the UKK Walk Test [10]. These field tests provide reliable estimates of peak oxygen consumption, they still carry some burden of time, resources, and risk. Because CRF is an important indicator of the ability of older adults to carry out essential activities of daily living [11] and potentially an important precursor to functional limitation and disability [8,12], identifying a relatively simple, low-cost, and low-risk measure of CRF could be of considerable benefit for use in clinical and research settings (e.g., for guiding exercise prescriptions)
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