Association of Muscle Mass, Muscle Strength, and Muscle Function with Gait Ability Assessed Using Inertial Measurement Unit Sensors in Older Women

Bohyun Kim; Changhong Youm; Hwayoung Park; Myeounggon Lee; Hyejin Choi

doi:10.3390/ijerph19169901

Association of Muscle Mass, Muscle Strength, and Muscle Function with Gait Ability Assessed Using Inertial Measurement Unit Sensors in Older Women

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Aug 11;19(16):9901. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19169901.

Authors

Bohyun Kim¹, Changhong Youm^{1

2}, Hwayoung Park¹, Myeounggon Lee³, Hyejin Choi¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Health Sciences, The Graduate School of Dong-A University, Busan 49315, Korea.
² Department of Health Care and Science, Dong-A University, Busan 49315, Korea.
³ Interdisciplinary Consortium on Advanced Motion Performance (iCAMP), Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.

Abstract

Aging-related muscle atrophy is associated with decreased muscle mass (MM), muscle strength (MS), and muscle function (MF) and may cause motor control, balance, and gait pattern impairments. This study determined associations of three speed-based gait variables with loss of MM, MS, and MF in older women. Overall, 432 older women aged ≥65 performed appendicular skeletal muscle, handgrip strength, and five times sit-to-stand test to evaluate MM, MS, and MF. A gait test was performed at three speeds by modifying the preferred walking speed (PWS; slower walking speed (SWS); faster-walking speed (FWS)) on a straight 19 m walkway. Stride length (SL) at PWS was significantly associated with MM. FWS and coefficient of variance (CV) of double support phase (DSP) and DSP at PWS showed significant associations with MS. CV of step time and stride time at SWS, FWS, and single support phase (SSP) at PWS showed significant associations with MF. SL at PWS, DSP at FWS, CV of DSP at PWS, stride time at SWS, and CV of SSP at PWS showed significant associations with composite MM, MS, and MF variables. Our study indicated that gait tasks under continuous and various speed conditions are useful for evaluating MM, MS, and MF.

Keywords: fall; gait variability; inertial measurement unit; muscle atrophy; older women.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Aged
Female
Gait* / physiology
Hand Strength*
Humans
Muscle Strength / physiology
Muscles
Walking / physiology
Walking Speed / physiology

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Dong-A University research fund. The funders had no role in the following: the design and conduct of the study; the collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; the preparation, review or approval of the manuscript; the decision to submit the manuscript for publication.