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Age and Ageing Advance Access published online on February 20, 2008
Age and Ageing, doi:10.1093/ageing/afn022
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Copyright © The Author 2008. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Geriatrics Society.

Aerobic reserve and physical functional performance in older adults

Scott W. Arnett1, Jennifer H. Laity2, Subodh K. Agrawal3 and M. Elaine Cress4

1 Department of Physical Education and Recreation, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY, USA
2 Bay Sport Inc., San Jose, CA, USA
3 Athens Heart Center, Athens, GA, USA
4 Department of Kinesiology, Gerontology Center, Aging and Physical Performance Laboratory, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA

Address correspondence to: Scott W. Arnett. Fax: (+1) 270-745-6034. Email: scott.arnett{at}wku.edu

Background: older adults can be limited in their performance of daily tasks due to an inadequate aerobic capacity. Aerobic capacity below minimum physiological thresholds required to maintain independence leaves older adults with little, or no, aerobic reserve.

Objective: the aim of this study was to measure functional performance and aerobic reserve in older adults during the serial performance of daily tasks.

Subjects: twenty-nine (n = 29) men and women (n = 23females) 70–92 years of age participated in this study.

Methods: performance based physical function was assessed using the Continuous-Scale Physical Functional Performance test (CS-PFP). A Cosmed K4b2TM portable metabolic system was used to measure VO2PEAK and oxygen uptake during the serial performance of a battery of daily tasks (VO2PFP). Aerobic reserve was calculated as the difference between VO2PEAK and VO2PFP.

Results: the correlation coefficient between aerobic reserve and functional performance was r = 0.50(P = 0.006). Participants utilized 32.2 ± 8.1%, 42.7 ± 10.8%, and 50.3 ± 12.3% of VO2PEAK for the low, moderate, and high workloads of the CS-PFP, respectively.

Conclusions: light housework and carrying groceries require 40 to 50% of peak oxygen consumption. This information can be used by clinicians and health professionals working with older adults as a guide to how much aerobic fitness is needed to perform ADLs and maintain independence. These can then be used as guides for assessment and for setting training goals in older adults.

Keywords: VO2PEAK, CS-PFP, threshold, daily tasks, elderly

Received 10 April 2007; accepted in revised form 30 November 2007.


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