<b>Functional assessment in elderly: a methodological proposal</b>

• Main Authors: Kelly Cristina de Mello Moraes, Anelise Reis Gaya, Cleiton Silva Correa, Fabiano Lacerda, Régis Radaelli, Ronei Silveira Pinto
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina 2013-09-01
• Series: Revista Brasileira de Cineantropometria e Desempenho Humano
• Subjects: Elderly; Funcional capacity; Muscle Strength; Capacidade Funcional; Força muscular; Idoso.
• Online Access: https://periodicos.ufsc.br/index.php/rbcdh/article/view/1980-0037.2013v15n6p745/25374
• ISSN: 1415-8426; 1980-0037

This study aimed to verify whether changes in performance in the countermovement jump test (CMJ) are associated with the improvements observed in the functional capacity tests. Methods: Functional capacity was measured with the 1RM, the 30 seconds chair-standing and the 8 foot up and go tests, after six weeks of strength training. The voluntary sample was comprised of 59 healthy untrained elderly women, who were randomly divided into experimental (EG = 42) and control groups (CG = 17). The EG showed a statistically significant increase in the CMJ (22.5%), 1RM (21.5%), 30 seconds chair-standing (22.8%) and 8 foot up and go (24%) results. The increases observed in the CMJ test showed a very high significant association (p <0.001) with the increases observed in the functional capacity tests: 1RM test (r = 0.88), 30 seconds chair-standing test (r = 0.82), and 8 foot up and go test (r = -0.75). Such increases were not seen in the CG. Results suggest that CMJ is a good test for measuring functional capacity in elderly women. The CMJ test seems to adequately express the changes in functional capacity observed over a six-week period of strength training.