Aguiar Elroy J, Mora-Gonzalez Jose, Ducharme Scott W, Moore Christopher C, Gould Zachary R, Chase Colleen J, Amalbert-Birriel Marcos A, Chipkin Stuart R, Staudenmayer John, Zheng Peixuan, Tudor-Locke Catrine
Department of Kinesiology, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA.
College of Health and Human Services, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA.
Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2023 Apr;33(4):433-443. doi: 10.1111/sms.14274. Epub 2022 Nov 29.
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.
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.
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).
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.
步行节奏（步/分钟）已成为身体活动强度的有效指标，众多基于实验室跑步机研究达成的共识是，≥100步/分钟接近绝对定义的中等强度（≥3代谢当量；METs）。我们最近报告称，在年轻人以偏好步速进行地面行走时，该节奏阈值识别中等强度的分类准确率为73.3%。本研究的目的是评估和比较≥100步/分钟的节奏阈值在正确分类中老年人地面行走中等强度时的表现。
参与者（N = 174，48.3%为女性，年龄41 - 85岁）完成了一项基于实验室的横断面研究，包括以其偏好步速进行5分钟的室内地面行走试验。手动计数步数并转换为节奏（总步数/5分钟）。使用间接量热法测量强度并以METs表示。计算≥100步/分钟的节奏阈值识别以≥3 METs行走个体的分类准确率（敏感性、特异性、准确率）。
≥100步/分钟的阈值在分类中等强度时的准确率为74.7%。在比较中年人与老年人时，观察到类似的准确率（分别为73.4%和75.8%）和特异性（分别为33.3%和34.5%）。敏感性较高，但中年人低于老年人（分别为85.2%和93.9%）。
≥100步/分钟的节奏阈值准确识别了中等强度的地面行走。此外，在比较中年人和老年人时准确率相似。这些发现扩展了我们之前对年轻人的分析，并证实了在整个成年期应用该节奏阈值的适用性。
