Associations Between Spatiotemporal Gait Parameters and Metabolic Outcomes in Younger and Functionally Limited Older Adults

Abstract

Efficient walking depends on the interaction between both gait mechanisms and energy demand; however, this relationship may differ across age and functional groups. This study examines this association in younger and older adults. Sixty-four participants were divided into two groups: younger adults aged ≤40 years and older adults with reduced physical function, defined as Short Physical Performance Battery scores ≤9, and. Metabolic outcomes included peak, gross reserve metabolic costs, while gait metrics included 10 spatial, temporal, and variability measures. Pearson correlations were calculated separately to examine the differences within each group. Younger adults demonstrated stronger associations between metabolic outcomes and temporal gait measures, whereas older adults showed stronger associations involving gait variability, asymmetry, and support-time measures. These findings suggest that age plays a critical role when there is a shift in gait and metabolic cost coupling, with inefficient locomotion in older adults more closely related to variability and stability control.