Influence of lower limb muscle isometric strength and cardiovascular parameters on locomotor capacity in children and adolescents

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Mendez-Rebolledo, Guillermo^{a; *} | Guzman-Muñoz, Eduardo^a | Valdés-Badilla, Pablo^{b; c} | Ramirez-Campillo, Rodrigo^d | Cruz-Montecinos, Carlos^e | Núñez-Cortés, Rodrigo^e | Cabrera-Aguilera, Ignacio^f | Calatayud, Joaquín^g

Affiliations: [a] Laboratorio de Investigación Somatosensorial y Motora, Escuela de Kinesiología, Facultad de Salud, Universidad Santo Tomás, Chile | [b] Department of Physical Activity Sciences, Faculty of Education Sciences Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca, Chile | [c] Sports Coach Career, School of Education, Universidad Viña del Mar, Valparaíso, Chile | [d] Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, School of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile | [e] Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile | [f] Escuela de Kinesiología, Facultad de Odontología y Ciencias de la Rehabilitación, Universidad San Sebastián, Concepción, Chile | [g] Exercise Intervention for Health Research Group (EXINH-RG), Department of Physiotherapy, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain

Correspondence: [*] Corresponding author: Guillermo Mendez-Rebolledo, Laboratorio de Investigación Somatosensorial y Motora, Escuela de Kinesiología, Facultad de Salud, Universidad Santo Tomás, 3460000, Avenida Circunvalación Poniente 1855, Talca, Chile. %****␣bmr-36-bmr230049_temp.tex␣Line␣50␣**** E-mail: guillermomendezre@santotomas.cl,\hrefhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-7948-3807https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7948-3807.

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Although measures of exercise performance and physical activity are known to be related to 6-minute walk test (6mWT), the role of the strength of each muscle group of the lower limb in the locomotor capacity during the development period is unknown. OBJECTIVE: To identify the role of the isometric strength of lower limb muscles and cardiovascular parameters on the locomotor capacity in children and adolescents, controlling for participants sex, age, and height. METHODS: Participants (7 to 15 years old; female, n= 113; male, n= 128) were assessed for isometric strength (seven lower limb muscles), cardiovascular parameters (diastolic pressure, oxygen saturation, resting heart rate, respiratory rate), and 6mWT. Participants were split into nine age groups and separated by 1-year intervals. RESULTS: Hip flexors-controlled for sex, age, and height-explained a meaningful percentage of the variance (R=2 0.45; p< 0.001) for 6mWT distance, and the resting heart rate explained a change in R2 of only 2% (p= 0.008). CONCLUSIONS: Isometric strength of hip flexors explained ∼ 50% of the 6mWT distance, suggesting the importance of strength from an early age. Other factors, such as cardiovascular parameters, while relevant, may exert a secondary role on youth’s capacity.

Keywords: Gait, lower extremity, walk test, muscle strength, musculoskeletal and neural physiological phenomena

DOI: 10.3233/BMR-230049

Journal: Journal of Back and Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation, vol. 36, no. 6, pp. 1435-1446, 2023