ABSTRACT
A study was conducted to examine the feasibility and validity of using integrated electromyographic signals (IEMG) for determination of anaerobic threshold (AT) in the elderly. Twentynine healthy elderly subjects (aged 67.6±7.7 yr) and twelve young males (aged 23.2±7.9 yr) performed ramp cycle exercise to exhaustion, increasing at a rate of 12.5 W/min for the elderly group and 25.0 W/min for the young group, following 3 min of exercise at zero work load. Myoelectrical signals were measured continuously from the vastus lateralis muscle, and values in terms of IEMG were computed every 10s throughout the test with AID conversion at 500 Hz. For the criterion of IEMG threshold, the breakpoint in the relationship between power output and IEMG was determined by two-segmental linear regression. VT was defined as the VO<SUB>2</SUB> at the onset of a nonlinear increase in VE and/or a sustained rise in VE/VO<SUB>2</SUB> without a rise in VE/VCO<SUB>2</SUB>. It was found that the value of VO<SUB>2</SUB> in terms of IEMGT was similar to VT in both groups, 16.3 and 18.1 ml/kg/min for the elderly group and 33.5 and 36.3 ml/kg/min for the young group, respectively. Furthermore, IEMGT was correlated significantly (p<0.001) with VT in both groups (r=0.871 for the elderly group and r=0.925 for the young group) . It is concluded that the IEMGT method for determination of AT in the elderly is simple and useful.
ABSTRACT
Physical fitness of 900 volunteers over 60 years of age were analyzed using a 6-item battery test to obtain fundamental data on the fitness status of the aged Japanese. The test battery consisted of stepping, vertical jump, grip strength, breath holding, body flexion and one-leg balancing, and could be performed safely with relatively mild physical stress in the elderly after simple screening by measurement of resting blood pressure and oral check on mobility problems of the knee and the hip. Males showed significantly higher values in vertical jump, grip strength and breath holding, while females showed significantly higher values in body flexion. There were no sex differences in stepping and one-leg balancing. Lowing trend was found in the score with age in all items except breath holding, but the extent of the reduction differed among the measure elements of fitness. Most of measured items showed significant correlations each other. The values obtained with this test are considered to be useful for future analysis of the fitness of aged people and also to determine the exercise appropriate for them.