Peak stepping cadence is associated with leg vascular compliance in young adults

How fast is fast enough? Walking cadence (steps/min) as a practical estimate of intensity in adults: a narrative review

Background

Cadence (steps/min) may be a reasonable proxy-indicator of ambulatory intensity. A summary of current evidence is needed for cadence-based metrics supporting benchmark (standard or point of reference) and threshold (minimums associated with desired outcomes) values that are informed by a systematic process.

Objective

To review how fast, in terms of cadence, is enough, with reference to crafting public health recommendations in adults.

Methods

A comprehensive search strategy was conducted to identify relevant studies focused on walking cadence and intensity for adults. Identified studies (n=38) included controlled (n=11), free-living observational (n=18) and intervention (n=9) designs.

Results

There was a strong relationship between cadence (as measured by direct observation and objective assessments) and intensity (indirect calorimetry). Despite acknowledged interindividual variability, ≥100 steps/min is a consistent heuristic (e.g, evidence-based, rounded) value associated with absolutely defined moderate intensity (3 metabolic equivalents (METs)). Epidemiological studies report notably low mean daily cadences (ie, 7.7 steps/min), shaped primarily by the very large proportion of time (13.5 hours/day) spent between zero and purposeful cadences (<60 steps/min) at the population level. Published values for peak 1-min and 30-min cadences in healthy free-living adults are >100 and >70 steps/min, respectively. Peak cadence indicators are negatively associated with increased age and body mass index. Identified intervention studies used cadence to either prescribe and/or quantify ambulatory intensity but the evidence is best described as preliminary.

Conclusions

A cadence value of ≥100 steps/min in adults appears to be a consistent and reasonable heuristic answer to ’How fast is fast enough?' during sustained and rhythmic ambulatory behaviour.

Trial registration number

NCT02650258

Do older adults with higher daily ambulatory activity have lower central blood pressure?

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

We aimed to test the hypothesis that central blood pressure (BP) would be lower in healthy older adults with greater daily ambulatory activity.

METHODS

Forty-three (24 women, 19 men) older adults wore a triaxial accelerometer at the hip for 1 week. The volume of ambulatory activity was estimated by average steps per day. As a proxy of intensity of ambulatory activity, 1-min peak step accumulation, or the maximum number of steps taken within a minute was averaged from each day. Participants were considered "active" if they had >7500 steps per day or >105 steps per min. Radial arterial tonometry was used to estimate central (aortic) BP from pulse wave analysis.

RESULTS

After adjusting for age and sex, adults with higher steps per day (n = 18) tended to have lower central pulse pressure (p = 0.08). Interestingly, adults with higher peak step accumulation (n = 25) had significantly lower central pulse pressure (40.4 ± 1.6 vs. 46.8 ± 2.0 mmHg; p = 0.02) after adjusting for age and sex. Stepwise regression including age, sex, body mass index, and peak step accumulation found body mass index to be the strongest predictor of central systolic BP [β = 0.42, 95 % CI (0.13, 0.70), p = 0.004] while peak step accumulation was the strongest predictor of central pulse pressure [β = -0.31, 95 % CI (-0.01, -0.60), p = 0.043].

CONCLUSIONS

These results find older adults with an "active" daily walking pattern, particularly having a higher number of maximal steps in a minute, have lower central pulse pressure than older adults with lower daily ambulatory activity.