Effects of Three Types of Exercise Interventions on Healthy Old Adults' Gait Speed: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
BACKGROUND
Habitual walking speed predicts many clinical conditions later in life, but it declines with age. However, which particular exercise intervention can minimize the age-related gait speed loss is unclear.


OBJECTIVE
Our objective was to determine the effects of strength, power, coordination, and multimodal exercise training on healthy old adults' habitual and fast gait speed.


METHODS
We performed a computerized systematic literature search in PubMed and Web of Knowledge from January 1984 up to December 2014. Search terms included 'Resistance training', 'power training', 'coordination training', 'multimodal training', and 'gait speed (outcome term). Inclusion criteria were articles available in full text, publication period over past 30 years, human species, journal articles, clinical trials, randomized controlled trials, English as publication language, and subject age ≥65 years. The methodological quality of all eligible intervention studies was assessed using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale. We computed weighted average standardized mean differences of the intervention-induced adaptations in gait speed using a random-effects model and tested for overall and individual intervention effects relative to no-exercise controls.


RESULTS
A total of 42 studies (mean PEDro score of 5.0 ± 1.2) were included in the analyses (2495 healthy old adults; age 74.2 years [64.4-82.7]; body mass 69.9 ± 4.9 kg, height 1.64 ± 0.05 m, body mass index 26.4 ± 1.9 kg/m2, and gait speed 1.22 ± 0.18 m/s). The search identified only one power training study, therefore the subsequent analyses focused only on the effects of resistance, coordination, and multimodal training on gait speed. The three types of intervention improved gait speed in the three experimental groups combined (n = 1297) by 0.10 m/s (±0.12) or 8.4% (±9.7), with a large effect size (ES) of 0.84. Resistance (24 studies; n = 613; 0.11 m/s; 9.3%; ES: 0.84), coordination (eight studies, n = 198; 0.09 m/s; 7.6%; ES: 0.76), and multimodal training (19 studies; n = 486; 0.09 m/s; 8.4%, ES: 0.86) increased gait speed statistically and similarly.


CONCLUSIONS
Commonly used exercise interventions can functionally and clinically increase habitual and fast gait speed and help slow the loss of gait speed or delay its onset.
Center for Human Movement Sciences, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, A. Deusinglaan 1, 9700 AD, Groningen, The Netherlands. t.hortobagyi@umcg.nl.|Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK. t.hortobagyi@umcg.nl.
Tibor
T
Hortobágyi
Division of Training and Movement Sciences, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany.
Melanie
M
Lesinski
Center for Human Movement Sciences, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, A. Deusinglaan 1, 9700 AD, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Martijn
M
Gäbler
Department of Physical Therapy, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Jessie M
JM
VanSwearingen
Institute of Sport Sciences University of Lausanne (ISSUL), University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.|Department of Physiology, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Davide
D
Malatesta
Division of Training and Movement Sciences, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany.
Urs
U
Granacher
D000368:Aged; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000502:physiology; D055070:Resistance Training