Field-Based Estimates of Muscle Quality Index Determine Timed-Up-and-Go Test Performance in Obese Older Women

Figures & data

Table 1 Subjects’ Characteristics

Subject Variables	Overall (n = 64)
Clinical
Age, mean ± SD, years	67.05 ± 5.46
Height, mean ± SD, m	1.54 ± 0.06
Body weight, mean ± SD, kg	72.06 ± 10.71
Body mass index, mean ± SD, kg/m²	30.33 ± 3.89
Neck circumference, mean ± SD, cm	36.02 ± 2.66
Waist circumference, mean ± SD, cm	92.25 ± 9.55
Waist height ratio, mean ± SD	0.59 ± 0.06
Hip circumference, mean ± SD, cm	107.66 ± 10.02
Body fat, %	42.81 ± 4.01
Lower body FFM, mean ± SD, kg	12.76 ± 1.65
Upper body FFM, mean ± SD, kg	4.47 ± 0.66
ASM, mean ± SD, kg	17.23 ± 2.19
Field MQI, mean ± SD, kg/BMI	0.85 ± 0.17
Laboratory MQI, mean ± SD, kg/kg	5.77 ± 0.97
Absolute HGS, mean ± SD, kg	25.73 ± 4.70
Timed-up-and-go, mean ± SD, seconds	6.91 ± 0.83
6-minute walk test, mean ± SD, meters	480.74 ± 51.63
Medications*
Angiotensin receptor blockers	33 (50)
Diuretics	27 (40.9)
β-blockers	12 (18.2)
Calcium channel antagonists	7 (10.6)
Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibiters	12 (18.2)
Statins	17 (25.8)
Disease*
Hypertension	51 (77.3)
Diabetes mellitus type 2	10 (15.2)
Exercise data
Peak O2 consumption, mean ± SD, mL/kg	17.38 ± 3.65
Treadmill exercise time, mean ± SD, minute	7.41 ± 2.02

Note: *Data presented as frequency and percentage values.

Abbreviations: FFM, fat-free-mass; ASM, appendicular skeletal muscle mass; MQI, muscle quality index; HGS, handgrip strength; VO2, volume of oxygen consumed.

Table 2 Multiple Regression Predicting TUG Test Based on Field and Laboratory MQI

	Unstandardized Coefficients		Standardized Coefficients	Sig.	95.0% Confidence Interval for B
	B	Std. Error	Beta		Lower Bound	Upper Bound
(constant)	8.814	0.564		0.000	7.687	9.941
Field MQI	−2.596	0.861	−0.540	0.004*	−4.318	−0.874
Laboratory MQI	0.057	0.154	0.067	0.712	−0.251	0.365

Note: *p ≤ 0.05.

Abbreviations: TUG, time-up-and-go test; MQI, muscle quality index.

Table 3 Spearman Correlation Between MQI and Clinical Variables and Exercise Data

	Field MQI	Clinical MQI
6-minute walk test, m	0.33*	0.12
Peak oxygen consumption, mL/kg	0.29*	0.15
Treadmill exercise time, min	0.30*	0.15
Neck circumference, cm	−0.35*	−0.35*
Waist circumference, cm	−0.34*	−0.18
Waist height ratio	−0.51*	−0.21
Hip circumference, cm	−0.36*	−0.22
Body fat, %	−0.30*	−0.03
BMI, kg/m²	−0.36*	−0.29*

Note: *Statistically significant (p ≤ 0.05).

Abbreviations: MQI, muscle quality index; BMI, body mass index.

Figure 1 Summary of main associations of differents MQI with TUG performance, aerobic capacity, and obesity indices.

Note: The figure was created in the Mind the Graph platform (www.mindthegraph.com).

Abbreviations: TUG, timed-up-and-go test; MQI, muscle quality index; BMI, body mass index.