METABOLIC INTENSITY AND STEPPING CADENCE FOR MIDDLE-AGED AND OLDER ADULTS DURING COMPETITIVE WALKING FOOTBALL

D.D.A. Salle1, R.U. Newton1, D.P. Heil, FACSM2 1Edith Cowan University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia; 2Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA. Walking football is a new sport popular with middle-aged and older adults, but relatively little is known about the determinants of metabolic intensity while playing. PURPOSE: This study was designed to measure and compare the average metabolic equivalent (MET) – a measure of metabolic intensity – and walking cadence (WC) with established thresholds associated with a moderate intensity physical activity. Specifically, it was hypothesized that average intensity would be ≥3.0 METs and WC ≥100 steps/min during competitive walking football matches. METHODS: Quantitative observational data were collected during a tournament that included all members of four participating teams (22 women and 20 men) representing the countries of Australia, Malaysia, and Singapore – (Mean±SD; 51±11 years old, 27.3±5.2 kg/m2 BMI). Participants wore a neoprene waist pack with an accelerometry-based activity monitor (AM) that collected and summarized accelerometry data every 60 seconds. After the tournament, the data were downloaded to a computer and transformed into average METs and WC for each minute of game play. Mean METs and WC values for all players of each match were compared to their moderate intensity thresholds (i.e., 3.0 METs and 100 steps/min, respectively) using one-sample t-tests and a Bonferroni adjusted alpha of 0.006. Lastly, the linear relationship between METs and WC was evaluated using linear regression. RESULTS: Mean METs for each match (3.2-3.9 METs) either met or exceeded the 3.0 METs threshold (P\u3c0.006) as hypothesized, but mean WC of 44-63 steps/min were all significantly lower than the 100 steps/min threshold. The correlation between METs and WC for all matches was moderately strong (R=0.78; P\u3c0.001). CONCLUSIONS: These results support the premise that competitive walking football is played at moderate intensity (or higher) in middle-aged and older adults. The unexpected lower walking cadence values, however, suggest that further research is warranted to better understand the determinants of metabolic and cardiovascular intensity when playing this sport. Supported by Edith Cowan University (Perth, Western Australia, AU)

THE ENERGY COST OF SUCCESSIVE MATCH PLAY EVENTS FOR THE SINGAPOREAN MEN’S WALKING FOOTBALL TEAM

D.D.A. Salle1, R.U. Newton1, D.P. Heil, FACSM2 1Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia; 2 Montana State University, Bozeman, MT Competitive walking football, an international sport that is less than 10 years old, has great potential to help address the international problems of sedentarism and obesity as a unique form of team-based competitive exercise. While recent research has documented the energy cost of women engaged in match play walking football (Heil et al. IJPEFS 2017), no such data yet exists for men’s teams. PURPOSE: This study sought to characterize the metabolic intensity of match play walking football for one men’s team during successive matches at the 2019 International Walking Football Federation World Cup competition. It was hypothesized that metabolic intensity (i.e., metabolic equivalents, or METs) during match play would meet or exceed the established thresholds for improving physical health and disease risk (≥3.0 METs). METHODS: The Singaporean men’s team (Mean±SD: 58±6 yrs age; 26.6±5.4 kg/m2 BMI; n=9) was monitored during a semi-structured warm-up (WU) and then during 7 successive 15-min competitive matches (M1-M7), all of which happened during a single day. All matches were played at the Leyton Orient outdoor football stadium (East London, England) that was split into four regulation mid-sized fields (40 m x 20 m) under warm and mildly humid ambient conditions (79-81° F; 38-43%). Predicted METs were derived from accelerometry-based activity monitors (AM) that were worn by each player within a neoprene waist pack. The AM data were later downloaded, transformed to units of energy expenditure, and then converted to METs using standard algorithms. A one-sample t-test was used to compare each mean predicted MET value (WU + M1-M7) to the 3.0 MET threshold and a Bonferroni corrected alpha of 0.006 (0.05 overall alpha). RESULTS: Average MET values for the WU (Mean±SE: 4.3±0.06 METs), as well as all seven matches (M1: 4.3±0.09, M2: 4.1±0.07, M3: 4.2±0.09, M4: 4.4±0.10, M5: 3.9±0.12, M6: 3.9±0.14, M7: 4.1±0.10 METs, respectively) exceeded the 3.0 MET threshold (P\u3c0.001). CONCLUSION: The results of this study support previous research with women’s walking football that the metabolic intensity of competitive walking football typically meets or exceeds the 3.0 MET threshold for promoting positive changes in both metabolic fitness and cardiovascular health risk. Support provided by Edith Cowan University to the lead author

THE METABOLIC INTENSITY OF WALKING FOOTBALL DURING MATCH PLAY IN SOUTHEAST ASIAN WOMEN USING GPS

D.D.A. Salle1, R.U. Newton1, D.P. Heil, FACSM2 1Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia; 2Montana State University, Bozeman, MT USA The continued rise in obesity rates throughout Southeast Asia are known to be disproportionately driven by rates for women. PURPOSE: Taking advantage of the regional popularity of walking football, this study sought to characterize the metabolic intensity of Southeast Asian women competing in walking football matches to determine the sports’ suitability as a physical activity for promoting physical health and lowering disease risk. It was hypothesized that metabolic intensity (i.e., metabolic equivalents, or METs) would meet or exceed established thresholds for improving physical health and disease risk (≥3.0 METs). METHODS: Women’s teams from Singapore (Mean±SD: 42±11 yrs age; 29.2±7.0 kg/m2BMI; n=14) and Malaysia (40±10 yrs age; 32.9±5.7 kg/m2BMI; n=8) competed in two matches within a single day using an outdoor regulation mid-sized field (40 m x 23 m) in Singapore during hot and humid ambient conditions (82-87° F; 87-90%). Data were recorded with portable handheld global positioning satellites (GPS) devices that were worn by each player within a neoprene waist pack. The GPS data were later downloaded and converted to walking distance and speed using standard transformations, and then into METs using a regression formula to predict METs from overground walking speed. Additionally, the GPS data were also used to derive total walking distance during each match (DIST, km), as well as the amount of time spent at ≥3.0 METs during each match (TIME, mins). A one-sample t-test was used to compare mean predicted METs to the 3.0 MET threshold, and two-sample t-tests were used to compare DIST and TIME variables between teams for each match (α=0.05). RESULTS: Both Malaysian and Singaporean teams maintained an average metabolic intensity that was statistically similar to the 3.0 MET threshold - 3.2±0.9 METs (P=0.0510) vs 3.3±1.0 METs (P=0.288), respectively. Players walked an average of 2.2-2.4 kms/match, while the Malaysian teams spent 17-18 mins/match above 3.0 METs vs 10-11 mins/match for the Singaporeans. CONCLUSION: The results of this study support the idea that the physiological demands of competitive walking football are sufficient to promote positive changes in metabolic fitness with this population of Southeast Asian women when performed regularly. Support provided by Edith Cowan University to the lead author

METABOLIC EQUIVALENTS FOR SUCCESSIVE WALKING FOOTBALL MATCHES FOR SINGAPOREAN MEN’S TEAM DURING TWO INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENTS

D.D.A. Salle1, R.U. Newton1, D.P. Heil, FACSM2 1 Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia; 2 Montana State University, Bozeman, MT USA Walking football (WF) is a relatively new international sport that often focuses on middle-aged and older adults who still desire to play the walking version of competitive football (i.e., soccer) and be physically active. While previous research has documented the typical metabolic intensity of competitive match play WF for women and mixed (men and women) teams to be ≥3.0 metabolic equivalents (METs), the same data for men’s teams is more limited. PURPOSE: This study sought to observationally characterize the metabolic intensity of successive match play walking football events for one men’s team during two separate competitions. We hypothesized that metabolic intensity (i.e., METs) during match play would consistently exceed the 3.0 MET threshold for improving markers of physical health and disease risk. METHODS: The Singaporean men’s WF team was monitored during two international WF tournaments in 2019 (Mean±SD: 58±6 yrs age; 26.6±5.4 kg/m2 BMI; n=9) and 2023 (49±9 yrs; 27.4±6.7 kg/m2 BMI; n=11) using accelerometry-based activity monitors (AM). In 2019, AM monitoring occurred during seven successive 15-min competitive matches, all of which happened during a single day, whereas the team played eight 40-min matches across 3 days in the 2023 tournament. Predicted METs were derived from AMs worn by each player within each match using a tight-fitting neoprene waist pack. The AM data were later downloaded, transformed to units of energy expenditure, and then converted to METs using standard algorithms. A one-sample t-test was used to compare each mean predicted MET value to the 3.0 MET threshold and a Bonferroni corrected alpha of 0.007 (0.05 overall alpha) and 0.006 (0.05 overall alpha) for the 2019 and 2023 data, respectively. RESULTS: Average MET values for each match (across all players who played at least 50% of each match) for both the 2019 (3.9-4.4 METs; P\u3c0.001) and 2023 tournaments (4.4-5.3 METs; P\u3c0.001) exceeded the 3.0 MET threshold for every match, with 2023 mean values tending to be higher. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study support previous research that the metabolic intensity of competitive walking football typically meets or exceeds the 3.0 MET threshold for promoting positive changes in both cardiovascular health risk and metabolic fitness. Support provided by Edith Cowan University to the lead author