title: Executive function moderates the role of muscular fitness in determining functional mobility in older adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Both physical and cognitive factors are known to independently predict functional mobility in older people. However, the combined predictive value of both physical fitness and cognitive factors on functional mobility has been less investigated. The aim of the present study was to assess if cognitive executive functions moderate the role of physical fitness in determining functional mobility of older individuals.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-seven 65- to 75-year-old healthy participants performed tests of functional mobility (habitual and maximal walking speed, maximal walking speed while picking up objects/stepping over obstacles), physical fitness (peak power, knee extensors torque, back/lower limb flexibility, aerobic fitness), and executive function (inhibition and cognitive flexibility).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Maximal walking speeds were predicted by physical fitness parameters and their interaction with cognitive factors. Knee extensor torque emerged as the main predictor of all tested locomotor performances at maximal speed. The effect of peak power and back/lower limb flexibility was moderated by executive functions. In particular, inhibition and cognitive flexibility differed in the way in which they moderate the role of fitness. High levels of cognitive flexibility seem necessary to take advantage of leg power for walking at maximal speed. In contrast, high levels of inhibitory capacity seem to compensate for low levels of back/lower limb flexibility when picking up movements are added to a locomotor task.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings may have important practical implications for the design and implementation of multi-component training programs aimed at optimizing functional abilities in older adults.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Sport and Health, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Forte
authors.forename: Caterina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pesce
authors.forename: Joao Costa
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Leite
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: De Vito
authors.forename: Eileen R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Gibney
authors.forename: Phillip D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Tomporowski
authors.forename: Colin A G
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Boreham
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008124:Locomotion / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D013997:Time Factors; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology*