Speed In Women Research Articles

Association between speed of sound of calcaneal bone assessed by quantitative ultrasound and sarcopenia in a general older adult population: A cross-sectional study

BackgroundLower calcaneal speed of sound may be related to sarcopenia because sarcopenia and osteopenia/osteoporosis show a linked relationship in older adults. The purpose of this study is to clarify whether the speed of sound of calcaneal bone assessed by quantitative ultrasound is associated with sarcopenia in a community-dwelling older adult population. MethodsThis was a cross-sectional observational study. The participants in the study were recruited from a group of individuals who had registered for an annual town-sponsored medical check-up. The inclusion criteria for participation in the study were (1) aged older than 40 years, (2) living independently, and (3) able to walk without assistance. Those who had nursing care insurance were excluded. Four hundred sixty-seven residents (182 men, 285 women) were registered in the study. Demographic information, fall history, muscle mass index, grip strength, and gait speed were assessed. The speed of sound through the calcaneal bone was evaluated using a CM-200 sonometer. The assessment for sarcopenia is based on the recommendations of the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia. ResultsSpeed of sound was positively correlated with muscle mass index and gait speed in men, and was positively correlated with grip strength and gait speed in women, when adjusted for age and body mass index. In a multivariate logistic regression analysis adjusted for age and sex and other confounders, speed of sound was independently related with lower gait speed and sarcopenia in women. Speed of sound under 1470.5 m/sec had discriminated for sarcopenia in females. ConclusionWe propose that the speed of sound of calcaneal bone may be used to screen for sarcopenia in women. Sarcopenia should be considered if the speed of sound value is less than 1470.5 m/s in older women.

Running performance in a timed city run and body composition: A cross-sectional study in more than 3000 runners

The importance of body composition for running performance is unclear in the general population. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether body composition influences running speed and whether it is a better predictor of running speed than body mass index (BMI). The study included 1353 women (38.2 ± 12.1 y of age) and 1771 men (39.6 ± 12.1 y of age) who underwent, for the first time, a measurement of body composition by bioelectrical impedance analysis between 1999 and 2016, before a timed run occurring annually in Geneva. The running distances and times were converted to average speed (km/h). Body composition was expressed as sex-specific quartiles, where quartile 1 (lowest values) was the reference quartile. The relationships between speed and BMI or body composition were analyzed by multivariate linear regressions. Multivariate regressions showed that the higher the fat mass index (FMI) quartile, the lower the running speed in women and men (all P < 0.001). In men, a fat-free mass index (FFMI) in quartile 4 (>20 kg/m2) was associated with a poor running performance (r = -0.50, P < 0.001), whereas in women, an FFMI in quartile 2 or 3 (15-16.4 kg/m2) was associated with a higher running speed (r = 0.23, P = 0.04; r = 0.28, P = 0.01, respectively). Body composition predicted speed better than BMI in women (R2 = 26.8% versus 14.4%) and men (R2 = 29.8% versus 25.4%). Running speed is negatively associated with BMI and FMI in both sexes. Body composition is a better predictor of running performance than BMI.

Age-dependent changes in physical performance and body composition in community-dwelling Japanese older adults.

BackgroundThe aim of this study was to describe the age‐dependent changes in the parameters of physical performance and body composition in Japanese older adults who are independently dwelling in the community. We also examined whether the age‐dependent changes differ among physical performance and body composition parameters.MethodsCross‐sectional data from 10 092 community‐dwelling older adults (mean age 73.6 years; 5296 women) were analyzed. The measures of physical performance included hand‐grip strength, the five‐times‐sit‐to‐stand test, and walking speed. Body composition parameters (body weight, fat mass, and appendicular skeletal muscle mass) were measured with a bioelectrical impedance analyser. Correlations between age and the physical performance and body composition parameters were tested. The T‐scores of physical performance and body composition measurements were calculated and presented according to 5‐year age groups to examine the differences in age‐dependent changes in physical performance and body composition parameters.ResultsAll physical performance measures significantly decreased with aging. The cumulative mean T‐scores according to age group showed different age‐dependent changes between body mass index (BMI) and appendicular skeletal muscle mass index (ASMI) (cumulative mean T‐score change of BMI and ASMI of −5.7 to −2.9 and −12.7 to −12.1, respectively). The slope declines in age‐associated changes were greater in grip strength (β = −0.77, 95% confidence interval = −0.82 to −0.76) for men and in walking speed (β = −0.95, 95% confidence interval = −0.99 to −0.90) for women.ConclusionsThe patterns of age‐dependent decreases in physical performance measures differed among parameters and between sexes. There is a possibility of a difference in the age‐related slope patterns among parameters; decreases in grip strength in men and walking speed in women may be more prominent with advancing age. Furthermore, the decrease in ASMI with age is more striking than that of BMI.

Effects of high intensity resistance aquatic training on body composition and walking speed in women with mild knee osteoarthritis: a 4-month RCT with 12-month follow-up.

To investigate the effects of 4-months intensive aquatic resistance training on body composition and walking speed in post-menopausal women with mild knee osteoarthritis (OA), immediately after intervention and after 12-months follow-up. Additionally, influence of leisure time physical activity (LTPA) will be investigated. This randomised clinical trial assigned eighty-seven volunteer postmenopausal women into two study arms. The intervention group (n=43) participated in 48 supervised intensive aquatic resistance training sessions over 4-months while the control group (n=44) maintained normal physical activity. Eighty four participants continued into the 12-months' follow-up period. Body composition was measured with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Walking speed over 2km and the knee injury and osteoarthritis outcome score (KOOS) were measured. LTPA was recorded with self-reported diaries. After the 4-month intervention there was a significant decrease (P=0.002) in fat mass (mean change:-1.17kg; 95% CI:-2.00 to-0.43) and increase (P=0.002) in walking speed (0.052m/s; 95% CI: 0.018 to 0.086) in favour of the intervention group. Body composition returned to baseline after 12-months. In contrast, increased walking speed was maintained (0.046m/s; 95% CI 0.006 to 0.086, P=0.032). No change was seen in lean mass or KOOS. Daily LTPA over the 16-months had a significant effect (P=0.007) on fat mass loss (f2=0.05) but no effect on walking speed. Our findings show that high intensity aquatic resistance training decreases fat mass and improves walking speed in post-menopausal women with mild knee OA. Only improvements in walking speed were maintained at 12-months follow-up. Higher levels of LTPA were associated with fat mass loss. ISRCTN65346593.

Age-related decline in skeletal muscle mass and function among elderly men and women in Shanghai, China: a cross sectional study.

To investigate the relationship of muscle mass and muscle function with age. The study including 415 participants (aged 60-99 years). Upper (UMM) and lower (LMM) limbs muscle mass and whole body fat free mass (FFM) were measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis. The appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) index (ASM/height2) was calculated. Muscle function was assessed by measuring hand grip strength (HGS) and gait speed. Using ASM index cutoff values we found that higher prevalence of sarcopenia in women than in men (33.5% vs 23.6%, p=0.025). In the upper limb, HGS (β=-0.809) declined more rapidly with age than did UMM (β=-0.592) in men, but not in women (β=-0.389 and β=-0.486 respectively). In the lower limb, gait speed declined more rapidly than LMM in both men (β=-0.683 vs β=-0.442) and women (β=-1.00 vs β=-0.461). The variance of UMM explained 28-29% of the variance of HGS, and LMM explained 7-8% of the variance of gait speed in women and men respectively. In addition to the common predictors (BMI and age), the specific predictors were smoking, exercise and education for FFM and ASM, and smoking, drinking and exercise for HGS (p<0.05). Loss of muscle function is greater than the decline of muscle mass particularly in the upper limbs in men. However, women are more prone to have low muscle mass than the men. Exercise programs need to be designed gender specifically.

Association between saccular function and gait speed: data from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging.

To investigate whether otolith function (saccular and utricular) is associated with walking performance. Cross-sectional analysis of observational data collected in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. National Institute on Aging Intramural Research Program Clinical Research Unit at Harbor Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland. Community-dwelling participants. Cervical and ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs) were used to assess saccular and utricular function, respectively. Cervical and ocular VEMP latency and amplitude responses and usual, rapid, and narrow (20 cm) gait speed assessed over a 6-m course. In 314 participants (mean age, 73.1 yr; range, 26-96 yr), cervical VEMP amplitude mediated the association between age and gait speed-particularly narrow walk speed-in both men and women. Cervical VEMP latency had an independent association with gait speed in age-, height-, and weight-adjusted analyses, although the direction of the association differed by sex. Greater cervical VEMP latency was associated with slower usual, rapid, and narrow gait speed in women but faster rapid gait speed in men. Neither the amplitude nor latency of ocular VEMP was associated with gait speed in men or women. These findings suggest that age-related slowing of gait speed is in part mediated by the decreased magnitude of saccular response associated with age. The sex-related differential association between saccular response latency and gait speed requires further study.

Steps per Day, Daily Peak Stepping Cadence, and Walking Performance in Older Adults.

We tested the hypothesis that the intensity of daily ambulation would relate with functional walking capacity in older adults. Forty-three women (n = 25) and men (n = 18) between the ages of 60-78 years wore an accelerometer for measurement of average daily steps and 30-min peak stepping cadence. A 400-m walk test was used to measure walking speed. No sex difference was found for average daily steps (p = .76), average peak cadence (p = .96), or walking speed (p = .89). Daily steps (women: r = .68, p < .01; men: r = .04) and peak cadence (women: r = .81, p < .01; men: r = -.16) were positively correlated with walking speed in women but not in men. After controlling for daily steps, peak cadence remained significantly associated with walking speed in women (partial r = .61, p < .01). Walking intensity during daily ambulation is independently related to functional walking capacity in older adults, albeit this relation may be more significant for women than men.

Association Between Short Physical Performance Battery and Falls in Older People: The Progetto Veneto Anziani Study

It is known that weakness in the lower limbs is associated with recurrent falls in old people. Among the tests routinely used to assess lower extremity strength, the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) is one of those used most often, but its relationship with recurrent falls is poorly investigated. We aimed to determine if SPPB scores are related to recurrent falling in a sample of 2710 older-aged people, and to ascertain which test in the SPPB is most strongly associated with a higher rate of falls. In this cross-sectional study, we demonstrated that participants scoring 0-6 in the SPPB were more likely to be recurrent fallers than those scoring 10-12 (odds ratio [OR]=3.46, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.04-5.88 in women; OR=3.82, 95% CI 1.77- 8.52, in men). SPPB scores of 7-9 were only associated with women being more likely to be recurrent fallers (OR=2.03, 95% CI 1.28-3.22). When the SPPB items were analyzed separately, even a lower score in gait speed for women was significantly associated with the presence of recurrent falls (OR=2.11; 95% CI 1.04-4.30), whereas in men only a significant increase in the time taken to complete the five timed chair stands test was associated with a higher rate of falls (OR=2.75; 95% CI 1.21-6.23). In conclusion, our study demonstrated that SPPB scores ≤6 are associated with a higher fall rate in old people of both genders; in females, even an SPPB score between 7 and 9 identifies subjects at a higher likelihood of being recurrent fallers. Among the single items of the SPPB, the most strongly associated with falls were gait speed in women and the five timed chair stands test in men.

Similarities Among Factors Associated With Components of Frailty in Elderly

To analyze similarities among factors associated with the components of frailty in elderly. We studied 1,413 elderly from the second wave of the SABE Study in 2006. Each of the five components of the frailty phenotype was considered a dependent variable in the hierarchical logistic regression models. In both genders, age, schooling, sedentary lifestyle, and screening positive for depression were associated similarly with more than one component of frailty. Other similarities were also observed with stroke and screening positive for cognitive decline in men, and number of diseases and gait speed in women. The most similar associations happened between weakness and slowness; weakness, slowness, and LPAL; or weakness, slowness, and exhaustion. Encouraging physical activity, screening for and treating depression and treating both diseases of the central nervous system and chronic diseases must be the focus of strategies to avoid, delay, or even remedy frailty.

Association between Blood Lead and Walking Speed in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES 1999–2002)

Background: Walking speed is a simple and reliable measure of motor function that is negatively associated with adverse health events in older people, including falls, disability, hospital admissions, and mortality. Lead has adverse affects on human health, particularly on the vascular and neurological systems.Objective: We explored the hypothesis that lead is associated with slower walking speed.Methods: We used U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) cross-sectional data from 1999–2002. The time to walk 20 ft (walking speed) was measured among 1,795 men and 1,798 women ≥ 50 years of age. The association between walking speed and quintiles of blood lead concentration was estimated separately in men and women using linear regression models adjusted for age, education, ethnicity, alcohol use, smoking status, height, and waist circumference.Results: Mean blood lead concentrations and walking speeds were 2.17 μg/dL and 3.31 ft/sec in women, and 3.18 μg/dL and 3.47 ft/sec in men, respectively. Among women, walking speed decreased with increasing quintiles of blood lead, resulting in an estimated mean value that was 0.11 ft/sec slower (95% CI: –0.19, –0.04; p-trend = 0.005) for women with blood lead concentrations in the highest versus lowest quintile. In contrast, lead was not associated with walking speed in men.Conclusion: Blood lead concentration was associated with decreased walking speed in women, but not in men. Our results contribute to the growing evidence that lead exposure, even at low levels, is detrimental to public health.

Association Between Blood Lead and Walking Speed in the National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)

Background and Aims: Walking speed is increasingly used as a simple and reliable measure of motor function in older people. Slower walking speed is associated with adverse health effects including falls, disability, admission to hospital and mortality. Lead is a toxicant that has been shown to adversely affect human health, particularly the neurological and vascular systems. We explored the hypothesis that lead can adversely affect the motor system manifesting as slower walking speed. Methods: We used US National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES) cross-sectional data from 1999-2002. The time to walk 20ft (walking speed) was measured among 1,795 men and 1,798 women 50 years of age and older. The association with blood lead concentration (sex-specific quintiles) was assessed with linear regression separately in men and women, adjusting for age, education, ethnicity, alcohol use, smoking status, height and waist circumference. Results: Mean blood lead was 3.26 (sd=2.79) ug/dl in men and 2.21 (sd=1.86) ug/dl in women. Mean walking speed was 3.27 ft/s (sd=0.76) in men and 3.15 ft/s (sd=0.82) in women. Among women, walking speed decreased steadily with increasing blood lead quintile. Women in the highest quintile of blood lead had a walking speed that was 0.107 ft/s slower (95% CI:-0.008, -0.206) than women in the lowest quintile. Walking speed was 0.032 ft/s slower (95% CI: -0.049,-0.015) per ug/dl of blood lead, the same as 1 year of age in these data. Among men, walking speed increased through quintile 4 of blood lead (0.14 ft/s faster [95% CI: 0.05, 0.24] than those in quintile 1), but quintile 5 was not different from quintile 1. Conclusions: We found higher blood lead level to be associated with decreased walking speed in women. The pattern in men was less clear. A contribution of healthy-worker effect to the pattern in men cannot be ruled out.

Effects of adjuvant treatment on cognitive function in women with early breast cancer

PurposeWhether adjuvant therapy impairs cognitive function in women with breast cancer (BC) is unclear. We determined the effects of adjuvant therapy on cognitive function in women with early BC. MethodsWe consecutively and prospectively enrolled women aged 40–69 years who had a positive radiographic finding from the mammography screening program at Stockholm South General Hospital. All women completed the Headminder Web-based neuropsychological battery Cognitive Stability Index (CSI) for response speed, processing speed, memory, and attention before diagnosis (T1), after surgery and before adjuvant treatment (T2), 6 months after start of adjuvant treatment (T3), and after another 3 months of follow-up (T4). Women with BC were divided into those receiving chemotherapy, hormone therapy, or no adjuvant medical therapy. Women without a diagnosis of BC served as healthy controls. ResultsOf the 146 women enrolled, 77 had BC of whom 18 received chemotherapy; 45, hormone therapy, and 14, no adjuvant medical therapy; 69 were healthy controls. Memory scores for women with BC were significantly lower than those for controls over time, even after controlling for age and education. Memory and response speed scores were lower after chemotherapy than before (P<0.01 for both). Processing speed and attention improved significantly over time in all groups, a result consistent with a practice effect. ConclusionOur results indicate subtle changes related to time course and treatment. Especially, that chemotherapy may impair memory and response speed in women with BC, consistent with those reported by BC survivors after adjuvant medical treatment.

Longitudinal Assessment of Cognitive Changes Associated With Adjuvant Treatment for Breast Cancer: Impact of Age and Cognitive Reserve

To examine the impact of age and cognitive reserve on cognitive functioning in patients with breast cancer who are receiving adjuvant treatments. Patients with breast cancer exposed to chemotherapy (n = 60; mean age, 51.7 years) were evaluated with a battery of neuropsychological and psychological tests before treatment and at 1, 6, and 18 months after treatment. Patients not exposed to chemotherapy (n = 72; mean age, 56.6 years) and healthy controls (n = 45; mean age, 52.9 years) were assessed at matched intervals. Mixed-effects modeling revealed significant effects for the Processing Speed and Verbal Ability domains. For Processing Speed, a three-way interaction among treatment group, age, and baseline cognitive reserve (P < .001) revealed that older patients with lower baseline cognitive reserve who were exposed to chemotherapy had lower performance on Processing Speed compared with patients not exposed to chemotherapy (P = .003) and controls (P < .001). A significant group by time interaction for Verbal Ability (P = .01) suggested that the healthy controls and no chemotherapy groups improved over time. The chemotherapy group failed to improve at 1 month after treatment but improved during the last two follow-up assessments. Exploratory analyses suggested a negative effect of tamoxifen on Processing Speed (P = .036) and Verbal Memory (P = .05) in the no-chemotherapy group. These data demonstrated that age and pretreatment cognitive reserve were related to post-treatment decline in Processing Speed in women exposed to chemotherapy and that chemotherapy had a short-term impact on Verbal Ability. Exploratory analysis of the impact of tamoxifen suggests that this pattern of results may be due to a combination of chemotherapy and tamoxifen.

La regulación de los semáforos peatonales en España: ¿tienen las personas mayores tiempo suficiente para cruzar?

In Spain, citizen complaints continue to be filed about pedestrian traffic lights in urban areas not providing enough time to cross roads safely, especially by the elderly and people with disabilities. This is despite the existence of accessibility laws in Spanish regions, the most favorable being to establish that pedestrian traffic lights should be regulated according to a pedestrian crossing speed of 0.7 meters per second (m/s). The Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE, http://www.share-project.org) measured the normal walking speed of a nationally representative sample of Spanish people of 75 or more years of age. Our study compared the median walking speed of this sample against the reference speed of 0.7 m/s.Spanish sample of the second wave of SHARE (version 2.2.0), including 244 subjects of 75 or more years of age of which 121 were women and 123 men.The median walking speed in women was 0.40 m/s, and in men it was 0.60 m/s. The analysis of frequencies showed that 75.2% (N=91) of women and 66.7% (N=82) of men had individual walking speeds of less than 0.7 m/s. The reference speed that would include the 80% of women and men in the sample would be 0.25 and 0.31 m/s, respectively.The reference walking speed of 0.7 m/s excludes a great proportion of older people. Urgent corrective measures are needed to avoid discrimination and protect the safety of this growing sector of the population.

Relationship Between Off-Ice Testing Variables and On-Ice Speed in Women's Collegiate Synchronized Figure Skaters: Implications for Training

The purpose of the current investigation was to identify any existing relationships between off-ice performance measures and on-ice performance quantified by speed and acceleration. Twenty-seven women (age 19 +/- 1 year; body mass (59.5 +/- 6.8 kg; height 164.6 +/- 6.35 cm; body fat 23.2 +/- 3.9%) who were collegiate synchronized figure skaters volunteered for the investigation. To examine the relationship between off-ice performance and on-ice speed and acceleration, collegiate synchronized skaters were evaluated on various performance tests over a 1-week period. Off-ice tests completed were peak torque for hip abduction and adduction, 40-yard sprint, vertical jump height, 30-second slide board stride count, and a 1-RM (repetition maximum) squat. On-ice tests included a timed single lap sprint, 4.5-minute (duration of long program) lap count, and an approximately 16.5-m (18-yard blue line to blue line) timed acceleration. Significance was set at P < or = 0.05. This study showed 3 primary findings: (a) slide board stride count was the single best predictor for both single lap on-ice speed and acceleration accounting for 53.5% (adjusted R2 value) of the variance in the single lap test and 42.5% (adjusted R2 value) of the variance in acceleration times; (b) vertical jump height test was the second best predictor for both the single lap test and on-ice acceleration accounting for 36.6% and 39.9% (adjusted R2 values) of the variance in times recorded, respectively; and (c) the best combined predictors for the single lap speed test were slide board stride count and 40-yard dash (R2 = 0.675), whereas the best combined predictors for on-ice acceleration were slide board stride count and vertical jump height test (R2 = 0.571). Conditioning for synchronized skaters to enhance performance of on-the-ice speed and acceleration should include slide board training implementation of plyometric and linear speed training while developing and maintaining 1-RM strength to support power capabilities.

LBNP exercise protects aerobic capacity and sprint speed of female twins during 30 days of bed rest

We have shown previously that treadmill exercise within lower body negative pressure (LBNPex) maintains upright exercise capacity (peak oxygen consumption, Vo(2peak)) in men after 5, 15, and 30 days of bed rest (BR). We hypothesized that LBNPex protects treadmill Vo(2peak) and sprint speed in women during a 30-day BR. Seven sets of female monozygous twins volunteered to participate. Within each twin set, one was randomly assigned to a control group (Con) and performed no countermeasures, and the other was assigned to an exercise group (Ex) and performed a 40-min interval (40-80% pre-BR Vo(2peak)) LBNPex (51 +/- 5 mmHg) protocol, plus 5 min of static LBNP, 6 days per week. Before and immediately after BR, subjects completed a 30.5-m sprint test and an upright graded treadmill test to volitional fatigue. These results in women were compared with previously reported reductions in Vo(2peak) and sprint speed in male twins after BR. In women, sprint speed (-8 +/- 2%) and Vo(2peak) (-6 +/- 2%) were not different after BR in the Ex group. In contrast, both sprint speed (-24 +/- 5%) and Vo(2peak) (-16 +/- 3%) were significantly less after BR in the Con group. The effect of BR on sprint speed and Vo(2peak) after BR was not different between women and men. We conclude that treadmill exercise within LBNP protects against BR-induced reductions in Vo(2peak) and sprint speed in women and should prove effective during long-duration spaceflight.

Coronary Artery Calcium and Physical Function in Older Adults: The Cardiovascular Health Study

In older adults without clinical cardiovascular disease, coronary artery calcium (CAC) is associated with other subclinical vascular diseases, which, in turn, predict physical dysfunction. However, the association between CAC and physical function is unstudied. In 387 older community-dwellers from the Cardiovascular Health Study without clinical cardiovascular diseases (mean age +/- standard deviation = 78.7 +/- 3.7, 35% men, 22% African Americans), CAC was measured using electron beam tomography, and physical performance was assessed by usual pace gait speed, chair stand, and tandem stand. Differences in physical performance across CAC quartiles were investigated in the whole cohort and by gender. Associations with gait speed (m/s) were assessed in multivariable models using both the continuous form of CAC score (log(CAC)) and quartiles of CAC, adjusting for demographics and comorbidities. No differences in physical performance were observed across CAC quartiles in the whole group. In gender-stratified analyses, a significant association was shown among women, who had progressively lower gait speed across CAC quartiles: Those with CAC > 220 walked more than 0.1 m/s slower than those with CAC < 35 (age-adjusted ptrend =.017). After multivariable adjustment, the association remained statistically significant for women in both linear (log(CAC) and gait speed, p =.025) and logistic models: Each of the top three CAC quartiles (35-220, 221-659, and > or = 660) had a more than twofold odds of walking slower than 1 m/s, compared to the lowest CAC quartile (< 35; p =.021). In this sample of older community-dwellers without overt cardiovascular disease, CAC was inversely related to gait speed in women, but not in men.

Lesões musculoesqueléticas na temporada de 2006 em atletas da seleção brasileira feminina principal de canoagem velocidade

OBJETIVO: Este estudo objetivou analisar a incidência, o tipo, a etiologia e a localização anatômica das lesões musculoesqueléticas na Seleção Brasileira de Canoagem Velocidade Feminina na Temporada de 2006. METODOLOGIA: Participaram do estudo as oito atletas da seleção, com média de idade de 19,50 anos (± 3,78); massa corporal média de 58,67 kg (± 5,44) e estatura média de 162,00 cm (± 4,00). RESULTADOS: Após a análise dos dados, obteve-se o índice de 5,06 lesões por atleta a cada 1000 horas de atividade esportiva. Observou-se também que 87,50% das atletas foram acometidas por lesões, com um total de 82,05% de casos reincidentes. As lesões mais freqüentes foram: contratura muscular (48,72%) e tendinite (23,08%). O tronco (56,41%), principalmente na região torácica e tóraco-lombar, e os MMSS (41,03%), principalmente no ombro, foram as regiões mais acometidas. CONCLUSÃO: Por conseqüência do gesto esportivo, a etiologia das lesões foi de origem atraumática devido principalmente a sobrecarga das estruturas anatômicas. Acreditamos que com a caracterização das lesões nesta modalidade esportiva, a fisioterapia desportiva poderá realizar um trabalho preventivo focado nas lesões específicas encontradas, com o objetivo que diminuir sua incidência e reincidência.

Prediction of Ice Skating Performance With Off-Ice Testing in Women's Ice Hockey Players

Off-ice predictors of skating performance have not been investigated for women's hockey players. The purpose of this study was to identify the off-ice variables associated with high-performance skating acceleration, speed, agility, and on-ice anaerobic capacity and power in women's ice hockey players. Sixty-one women's ice hockey players between the ages of 8 and 16 years (x age = 12.18 +/- 2.05 years, x playing experience = 4.68 +/- 2.69 years) participated in the study. Subjects were 1-4 months postseason. Some players were continuing to play once per week during the off-season. Skating tests (ST) included (a) 6.10-m acceleration, (b) 47.85-m speed, (c) agility cornering S turn, and (d) modified repeat skate test (MRS). Two trials of each ST were measured with a photoelectric timing system (except MRS, which was measured with 1 trial). The off-ice variables that were evaluated included age, years of playing experience, height, body mass, predicted fat percentage, sit-and-reach flexibility, vertical jump height, 40-yd dash time, and 1-minute timed sit-ups and push-ups. The results of this study show that 40-yd dash time is the strongest predictor of skating speed in women's hockey players ages 8-16 years old. From the regression procedure the best prediction equation was speed = 4.913 - (0.0107 x kilograms) + (0.4356 x 40-yd dash time).

Age-related changes in the ability to side-step during gait

Objective. The purpose was to identify age-related changes in the ability to step sideways during gait. Design. Sixteen young women (mean age 27) and 16 older women (mean age 70) were tested. Background. The ability to safely incorporate changes of direction into our walking pattern at short notice is a requirement for full mobility. Side-stepping in particular is frequently used to avoid obstacles. Methods. The task was to walk repeatedly down the center of a walkway divided into three parallel lanes. A suddenly-appearing visual cue instructed the subject to move to either the right or left alne or to remain in the center lane. The aim was to amek the shift accurately but as quickly as possible, without halting forward progression. Results. In only 26% of the trials by the older women was the shift accomplished by taking just one extra step, compared with 58% of the trials by the young women. For one of the two shift directions there was no significant difference between the groups in either speed changes or foot placement accuracy. For the other direction, however, the young women's speed decreased by 3.3%. The older women also made more errors in foot placement in the steps following the side-step (a 22% error rate compared to a 3% error rate). Conclusions. Older women were less able to quickly and accurately incorporate a sideways shift in the plane of progression into their comfortable walking pattern. Relevance The study suggests that older adults will be less successful, in some conditions, at sidestepping around obstacles. They should therefore be encouraged to increase their vigilance regarding obstacles in the environment.