Date of Graduation

12-2013

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Kinesiology (MS)

Degree Level

Graduate

Department

Health, Human Performance and Recreation

Advisor/Mentor

Michelle Gray

Committee Member

Matthew Ganio

Second Committee Member

Tyrone Washington

Keywords

Social sciences, Health and environmental sciences, Blood lactate, Peripheral arterial disease, Six-minute walk test

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to observe how the presence of peripheral arterial disease affects the level of post-exercise blood lactate and post-recovery blood lactate during and following the six-minute walk test (6MWT). The 6MWT was administered to 49 participants (33 classified as Non-PAD and 16 classified as PAD) over the age of 50 with no uncontrolled cardiovascular or metabolic diseases or a cardiovascular event in the previous 6 months. Results demonstrated that no significant statistical difference exists between the presence of PAD and resting blood lactate (F = 0.86, p = .36), post-exercise blood lactate (F= 0.48, p = .49), or post-recovery blood lactate (F = 1.62, p = .21). Although the data failed to demonstrate statistical significant difference between the presence of PAD and these variables, this could be due, in part, to the relatively mild arterial occlusion seen in the population used in this study. Perhaps more severe cases of PAD would yield significant differences between the two groups following the 6MWT.

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