Fig. 1

Mean (SE) data for gait speed, step length and cadence sorted by decade of life. Mean ± SE gait speed (m.s^− 1), step length (m) and cadence (steps per minute), are provided for fastest (a, b, c) and preferred (d, e, f) trials respectively for each decade. The level 10MWT is shown as the grey shaded circle, downhill 10MWT is the white circle, and uphill is the shaded triangle. * p < 0.05 for level condition compared with 20–29 year old adults § p < 0.05 for downhill condition compared with 20–29 year old adults † p < 0.05 for uphill condition compared with 20–29 year old adults