A novel protocol to test age-related decreases in sit-to-stand movement abilities in healthy subjects.

Abstract Background The development of simple approaches to quantitatively estimate functional motor performance in a wide range of ages is crucial for early detection of locomotive syndrome (LS). Sit-to-stand (STS) movements from a chair are important in activities of daily living (ADL), although such tasks are the most mechanically demanding among all ADL. Here, we propose a novel test to score STS abilities to estimate individual functional motor status and investigated age-related changes in STS scores as a method to evaluate reduction in performance. Methods A total of 606 healthy subjects (average age, 48.4 years; age range, 20–87 years) without neuromusculoskeletal disorders participated in the study. We designed a test to score STS abilities, based on STS determinant variables, including seat height, foot positioning, and both-leg- or one-leg-standing tasks. STS scores ranged from 0 to 14 points, depending on the difficulty or mechanical demands of the STS task. We evaluated the STS score of the subjects divided into seven 10-year age groups. Results A significant and negative correlation was observed between STS scores and subject age (men: r  = −0.65, P r  = −0.62, P 60 years. There was a negative linear correlation between mean STS score per age group and mean age (men: R 2  = 0.93, slope = −0.10, intercept = 16.63 points; women: R 2  = 0.92, slope = −0.08, intercept = 14.76 points). Conclusions The ability to perform STS was negatively correlated with age among healthy subjects aged 20–87 years. For subjects aged >60 years, STS abilities decreased, but within-group variability increased. This test was useful to identify the deterioration of functional motor performance and prevent early LS.