Walking football for Health - physiological response to playing and characteristics of the players

Abstract

Walking Football (WF) is one type of recreational football increasing in popularity, targeting older adults. Further knowledge on the intensity and physical workload of WF, characteristics of the players, the social context, and reasons for playing WF is needed. Thus, the aim of the study was to characterize the individuals that regularly play WF and their experience of WF, and the physiological characteristics of the sport. Sixty-three players from three clubs taking part in organised WF in Sweden were included. The players participated in up to four WF-games and underwent performance tests and answered a questionnaire. The participants mean age was 70.9 years, ranging from 63 to 85 years with 71% (n = 27) of the men and 68% (n = 13) of the women having a BMI > 25. Fifty-one percent (n = 27) of the players had hypertension, and 73% (n = 39) regularly used prescription drugs due to illness. During WF, the players covered on average 2,409 m (2,509 m for men and 2,205 m for women, p = .001). Expressed in percentage of their age-estimated maximal heart rate, mean heart rate represented 80 ± 9 and 80 ± 8% of max for men, and 78 ± 9 and 79 ± 9% of max for women in the first and second halves, respectively, hence WF can be considered a moderate intensity activity for older adults. The main reason for WF participation was to socialize. WF includes a considerable number of accelerations and decelerations, making it more energetically and mechanically demanding than walking.

Keywords: Fitness; ageing; exercise; physiology; team sport.