Date of Award
Spring 5-8-2025
Document Type
Honors Thesis
Department/Major
Biology
First Advisor
Dr. Becca D. Jordre, Professor Department of Physical Therapy
Second Advisor
Dr. Jacob Kerby, Department Chair of Biology
Third Advisor
Dr. Jed Droge, Assistant Professor Department of Physical Therapy
Keywords
Cardiovascular Disease (CVD), Muscular Fitness, Cardiovascular Fitness, Older Adult Athletes, Exercise Behavior
Subject Categories
Kinesiology | Rehabilitation and Therapy | Sports Studies
Abstract
This data analysis examined associations between cardiovascular and muscular fitness indicators and the presence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in older adult athletes. Using cross-sectional data from 1,110 participants aged 50 and older who completed the Sustained Athlete Fitness Exam (SAFE) at state-level Senior Games events, we evaluated both objective performance metrics and self-reported exercise behaviors. Cardiovascular measures included systolic blood pressure (SBP), waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and body mass index (BMI). Muscular fitness was assessed through grip strength, maximum walking speed, and chair stand time. CVD status was defined as the presence of two or more self-reported cardiovascular conditions.
Logistic regression and ROC curve analyses identified WHR and chair stand performance as the strongest indicators of the presence of CVD, with chair stand showing the highest area under the curve (AUC = 0.724 in females). Maximum walking speed was inversely associated with CVD, while grip strength showed limited discriminatory value. Participants classified as "multimodal" (meeting median weekly thresholds for both strength and cardiovascular exercise) had over 80% lower odds of CVD compared to those classified as "minimal." Strength-focused participants also demonstrated greater risk reduction than those who performed only cardio-based exercise.
Findings suggest that functional measures of muscular fitness, particularly muscular power, may be stronger indicators of cardiovascular health than traditional metrics alone in active older adults. Clinicians may benefit from incorporating mobility-based assessments and promoting multimodal training approaches to support cardiovascular health in this population.
Recommended Citation
Zick, Lauren T., "ASSOCIATIONS OF MUSCULAR AND CARDIOVASCULAR FITNESS VARIABLES WITH CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE IN OLDER ADULT ATHLETE POPULATIONS" (2025). Honors Thesis. 385.
https://red.library.usd.edu/honors-thesis/385