Abstract
[Purpose] To clarify elderly community residents’ respiratory muscle strength and pulmonary function, as well as the relationships among these items, motor function, and body composition. [Subjects and Methods] The study involved 29 elderly females living in communities, who required care, but were able to walk independently. For each evaluation, the following items were measured: respiratory muscle strength: maximum inspiratory/mouth pressure; pulmonary function: vital capacity, forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in 1 second, and peak expiratory flow rate; motor skills: hand grip strength, isometric knee extensor strength, frequency of standing within 30 seconds, time needed to walk 5 m, TUG test score, duration of standing on one leg, FR, and gait distance within 6 minutes; and body composition: total lower limb muscle mass, total muscle mass, and total muscle rate. [Results] The total muscle mass and muscle strength were similar to standard values for each age group and those expected, but the respiratory muscle strength and exercise tolerance level were markedly reduced. Furthermore, correlation analysis revealed a positive correlation between the inspiratory muscle mass and exercise tolerance level. [Conclusion] There may be an association between the elderly’s exercise tolerance and respiratory muscle strength.
