Peak stepping cadence is associated with leg vascular compliance in young adults

Objectives: To test the hypothesis that volume or intensity Of daily ambulatory activity would associate with greater large artery compliance in healthy untrained adults. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Forty-five recreationally active young adults (22 +/- 3 yr, 51% women) wore an accelerometer for 5.3 +/- 1.3 days for determination of average daily steps (volume) and 30-min peak stepping cadence (intensity; average steps per min for the 30 highest min in a day). Arterial compliance of the common carotid artery, superficial femoral artery (SPA), and popliteal artery was estimated using Doppler ultrasound. Data were analyzed using correlational analysis and analysis of covariance. Results: Average daily steps and peak stepping cadence was 8957 +/- 3422 steps per day and 97 +/- 24 steps per mm, respectively. Weight was the main independent predictor of daily steps (r(2) = 0.13, p = 0.01) and peak stepping cadence (r(2) = 0.17, p < 0.01). After adjusting ambulatory activity for weight, SFA compliance was positively correlated with peak stepping cadence (r = 0.53, p < 0.01) but not with daily steps (r = 0.23, p > 0.05). No other correlations were found between ambulatory activity and carotid or popliteal artery compliance (p > 0.05). Adults with peak stepping cadence >= 102 steps per min had greater carotid (1.26 +/- 0.08 vs. 1.57 +/- 0.09 mm(2) kPa(-1); p = 0.01) and SFA compliance (0.43 +/- 0.03 vs. 0.54 +/- 0.03 mm(2) kPa(-1); p = 0.04) than adults with lower stepping cadence. Conclusions: "Brisk" stepping cadence during daily ambulation is associated with greater leg vascular compliance. These results support the promotion of accumulating 30 min. of "brisk" walking per day as a strategy to improve vascular health. (C) 2013 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.