Relationship Between Step Counts And Body Composition In Middle-aged Women

A previously published study reported a strong relationship between daily step counts expressed relative to fat mass (steps · kg of fat mass-1 · day-1) and body fatness in young adults (19-40 years). PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to quantify the relationship between step counts (measured by pedometer) and body composition in middle-aged females (40-60 years). METHODS: Twenty-two healthy middle-aged adult females (age = 49.9 ± 7.4 years, height = 164.9 ± 7.4 cm, weight = 74.40 ± 14.1 kg, percent body fat (PBF) = 35.1 ± 10.0%) completed two laboratory visits for this study. Laboratory visits were conducted approximately three weeks apart. For each visit the participants arrived in a fasted condition and a 4-compartment body composition model was determined by measuring height and weight via stadiometer, total body water using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), and fat mass, fat-free soft tissue mass, and bone mass using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). During Visit One participants were provided with a pedometer, instructed on its use and asked to wear the device for all waking hours (except when bathing, swimming, showering) for the following three weeks. During Visit Two, 4-compartement model body composition was again determined to confirm that participants were in state of energy balance, and step count data from pedometer were recorded. Statistics were analyzed using SPSS Version 28.0 RESULTS: The average daily step count was 6,365.3 ± 2,619.0 steps ·day-1, and average daily step counts per kg of fat mass (REL Steps) was 313.4 ± 226.9. steps · kg of fat mass-1 · day-1. The coefficient of determination (R2) in our regression analysis demonstrated a strong relationship between daily step counts and PBF among middle-aged females (adjusted R2 = 0.793, p < 0.001). The resulting regression model was: PBF = REL Steps · (-0.40) + 47.5 (SEE = 4.56). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study show that step counts expressed relative to fat mass are strongly predictive of body composition in middle-aged females.