Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 7, 2026
07:27
Exergaming in Older People Living with HIV Improves Balance, Mobility and Ameliorates Some Aspects of Frailty
Published on: October 6, 2016
The energetic pathway to mobility loss: an emerging new framework for longitudinal studies on aging
Jennifer A Schrack1, Eleanor M Simonsick, Luigi Ferrucci
1Center on Aging and Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA. jschrack@jhsph.edu
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
|October 30, 2010
Summary
Aging and chronic disease reduce walking speed, a key indicator of health. This study proposes that energy deficiency is the primary cause of this decline, impacting mobility and overall health.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Biomedical Sciences
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Gait speed is a critical marker of mobility and independent living.
- Declining gait speed with age and disease predicts disability, healthcare use, and mortality.
- Mechanisms underlying gait speed decline are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the hypothesis that energy scarcity drives age- and disease-related declines in walking speed.
- To provide examples of measures and analytical models for future longitudinal aging studies.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data and insights from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging.
- Proposed specific measures and analytical approaches to study energy availability and gait speed.
- Focused on the premise that biochemical processes require energy for maintenance and homeostasis.
Main Results:
- The study hypothesizes energy deficiency as a cause of reduced walking speed.
- Proposed methods to operationalize and analyze the relationship between energy and gait speed.
- Highlighted the importance of energy in maintaining health and preventing decline.
Conclusions:
- Energy scarcity is postulated as a key mechanism for age- and disease-related gait speed decline.
- Future longitudinal studies should incorporate energy-related measures to understand aging.
- Understanding these mechanisms can inform interventions to maintain mobility and health in aging populations.
Related Concept Videos
01:26Aging
Aging is a complex biological phenomenon influenced by various processes that affect cellular and systemic functions. Several prominent theories attempt to explain its mechanisms, highlighting cellular limitations, oxidative damage, and hormonal changes as central factors in aging.
Cellular Clock Theory
The cellular clock theory posits that the human lifespan is closely tied to the finite capacity of cells to divide, a phenomenon governed by telomeres, which are protective caps at the ends of...
Cellular Clock Theory
The cellular clock theory posits that the human lifespan is closely tied to the finite capacity of cells to divide, a phenomenon governed by telomeres, which are protective caps at the ends of...
01:19The Effect of Aging on Tissues
Several body functions deteriorate with age. The external signs of aging are easily identifiable. For example, the skin becomes dry, less elastic, and thins out, forming wrinkles. The skin of the face begins to appear looser due to a decrease in the levels of elastic and collagen fibers in the connective tissue. Additionally, melanin production in the hair follicle decreases with age, resulting in gray hair. Moreover, the senses of sight and hearing decline, so glasses and hearing aids may...
01:24Parkinson Disease ll: Pathophysiology
Parkinson disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder primarily affecting movement, with additional non-motor features. Its pathophysiology involves complex interactions among genetic susceptibility, environmental exposures, and cellular dysfunction, including dopaminergic neuron loss, protein aggregation, and mitochondrial impairment.Selective NeurodegenerationA key feature is the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta, leading to reduced...
01:37Mitochondria
Mitochondria are eukaryotic cellular organelles that are known to produce energy through a process called oxidative phosphorylation. Besides their primary function, mitochondria are involved in various cellular processes, including cell growth, differentiation, signaling, metabolism, and senescence. Age-related changes cause a decline in mitochondrial quality and integrity due to increased mitochondrial mutations and oxidative damage. Thus, aging can severely impact mitochondrial functions,...
01:23Cellular Adaptation I: Introduction and Atrophy
Cells can adapt to environmental changes to maintain function and avoid injury, a process called cellular adaptation. Adapted cells exist in a reversible intermediate state with changes in size, number, phenotype, metabolism, or function. These responses help cells meet altered physiological or pathological demands; for example, enlargement of breast and uterine tissues during pregnancy. Early adaptations may enhance function, but persistent stress eventually causes tissue damage.Types of...
01:23Alzheimer Disease ll: Pathophysiology
Alzheimer disease involves structural changes in the brain that begin long before symptoms appear. The most distinctive features are extracellular neuritic plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles.Neuritic plaques form in the cerebral cortex and around blood vessels. These plaques contain a dense core of beta-amyloid (Aβ)—a toxic protein fragment that clumps outside neurons. The core is surrounded by damaged neuronal extensions, as well as reactive astrocytes and microglia. Abnormal...