An Incremental Sit-to-Stand Exercise for Evaluating Physical Capacity in Older Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

Abstract

Exercise is recommended for older patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and increased physical activity contributes to better management of their condition. The conventional exercise test with treadmill or cycle ergometer (CE) for assessing physical capacity, such as peak oxygen uptake (VO 2 ) and anaerobic threshold (AT), is not always usable for older patients with T2DM. The incremental sit-to-stand (ISTS) exercise is an incremental exercise test using external signals to control the sit-to-stand rate in a given time frame and can be performed in a small space using only a chair. This study aimed to examine the validity of the physical capacity assessment during the ISTS exercise, based on the relationships between the ISTS performance, peak VO 2 , AT on ISTS exercise and CE test, in older patients with T2DM. Twenty-two patients with T2DM (10 men, 12 women; mean age, 68.0 years; range, 61-77 years) performed ISTS exercise (according to an existing protocol) and CE test in a randomized manner. Peak VO 2 , AT, and completion time were determined for the ISTS exercise and CE test. Peak VO 2 during ISTS exercise was significantly associated with that during the CE test (r = 0.89, p < 0.01). The completion time on the ISTS exercise was significantly associated with peak VO 2 (r = 0.80, p < 0.01) and AT on the ISTS exercise (r = 0.78, p < 0.01). The ISTS exercise is a useful tool to determine the physical capacity and estimate peak VO 2 and AT in older people with T2DM.

Measurements of Older Adults’ Physical Competence under the Concept of Physical Literacy: A Scoping Review

“…For the objective higher-order theme, there were three sub-themes with 17 core categories: simple capacities, combined capacities, and complex capacities. Most researchers adopted the gait speed measures [ 24 , 30 , 35 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 ] to assess older adults’ simple capacities. The timed up and go test [ 31 , 42 , 43 ], sit-to-stand test [ 32 , 44 ], stabilometer and posture meter platforms [ 40 , 45 ] and the one-repetition maximum test [ 46 , 47 ] were also implemented in more than one study.…”

“…In these studies, simple capacities such as mobility, strength, aerobic fitness, flexibility, and balance were assessed through simple but effective instruments. The gait speed measures [ 24 , 30 , 35 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 ] were embraced by most researchers for their function serving as a core indicator of health and function in ageing and disease. But this was often simply introduced in clinical settings to monitor and evaluate changes.…”

Thirty-second sit-to-stand test as an alternative for estimating peak oxygen uptake and 6-min walking distance in women with breast cancer: a cross-sectional study

“…Several researchers have shown interest in the usefulness of the STS test as an alternative for estimating functional capacity in different pathologies and populations. Nakamura et al (2019) observed a significant and very strong correlation ( r = 0.89, p < 0.01) between VO2peak measured by an incremental STS test and VO2peak measured by CPET cycle ergometer in older patients with type 2 diabetes [ 32 ]. Melissa et al (2017) analyzed the correlation between the 30STS test and the 6MWT in patients with head and neck cancer and observed a moderate association ( r = 0.407) [ 33 ].…”