Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2022 Nov 20. doi: 10.1111/sms.14274. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Walking cadence (steps/min) has emerged as a valid proxy of physical activity intensity, with consensus across numerous laboratory-based treadmill studies that ≥100 steps/min approximates absolutely-defined moderate intensity (≥3 metabolic equivalents; METs). We recently reported that this cadence threshold had a classification accuracy of 73.3% for identifying moderate intensity during preferred pace overground walking in young adults. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare the performance of a cadence threshold of ≥100 steps/min for correctly classifying moderate intensity during overground walking in middle- and older-aged adults.
METHODS: Participants (N=174, 48.3% female, 41-85 years of age) completed laboratory-based cross-sectional study involving an indoor 5-min overground walking trial at their preferred pace. Steps were manually counted and converted to cadence (total steps/5 min). Intensity was measured using indirect calorimetry and expressed as METs. Classification accuracy (sensitivity, specificity, accuracy) of a cadence threshold of ≥100 steps/min to identify individuals walking at ≥3 METs was calculated.
RESULTS: The ≥100 steps/min threshold demonstrated accuracy of 74.7% for classifying moderate intensity. When comparing middle- vs. older-aged adults, similar accuracy (73.4% vs. 75.8%, respectively) and specificity (33.3% vs. 34.5%) were observed. Sensitivity was high, but was lower for middle- vs. older-aged adults (85.2% vs. 93.9, respectively).
CONCLUSION: A cadence threshold of ≥100 steps/min accurately identified moderate intensity overground walking. Furthermore, accuracy was similar when comparing middle- and older-aged adults. These findings extend our previous analysis in younger adults and confirm the appropriateness of applying this cadence threshold across the adult lifespan.
PMID:36403207 | DOI:10.1111/sms.14274
