Article

OBJECTIVES: To develop a fitness index unlinked to resting heart rate and
suitable for clinical use, and to obtain reference values of this new index for
healthy subjects. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Research laboratory.
PARTICIPANTS: A volunteer sample of healthy subjects (N=100; 50 men; age range,
20-70y) randomly recruited from the general community. INTERVENTIONS: Not
applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Participants performed a submaximal,
multistage cycle ergometer test. A new fitness index, the physical working
capacity at 75% of the predicted maximal heart rate per kilogram of body weight
(PWC(75%)/kg), was calculated. Its concordance with a previously described
fitness index and its relationship with age were examined, as well as differences
attributable to sex and lifestyle. Reference values of the PWC(75%)/kg (mean +/-
SD and 95% confidence interval) were calculated and categorized by age classes of
10 years and by sex. RESULTS: The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC)
between PWC(75%)/kg and the working capacity index at 65% of the heart rate
reserve per kilogram of body weight (WCI(65%HRreserve)/kg) was very high
(ICC=.96, P<.001), indicating that the fitness index can be estimated without
measuring the resting heart rate. PWC(75%)/kg decreased as age increased. The
average PWC(75%)/kg was significantly higher in men than in women (P<.001), and
in active than in inactive subjects (P<.01). CONCLUSIONS:
This study presents a
new fitness index, the PWC(75%)/kg, which is suitable for measuring fitness in
active and sedentary people aged 20 to 70 years. It may also be a suitable
fitness index for selected chronically ill individuals.
This study also provides
reference values of the PWC(75%)/kg obtained from healthy men and women.
CI - Copyright (c) 2012 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by
Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS