A new repository at the Indiana University School of Health & Human Sciences is providing valuable reference data on physical function, helping researchers address critical questions about musculoskeletal diseases and other health conditions. Established in 2017, the Function, Imaging and Testing (FIT) Core has already tested over 5,000 individuals in the United States and beyond.
The FIT Core enables volunteer participants to undergo a series of simple physical function assessments. These assessments include a six-minute walking test, various balance tests, walking speed evaluations, and hand grip strength measurements. Participants, ranging in age from 5 to 100, can volunteer regardless of their health status, contributing to a diverse data pool.
According to Stuart Warden, Ph.D., Director of the FIT Core and Chancellor’s Professor in the IU Physical Therapy program, the repository has produced five reference databases, including pioneering normative data on muscle density measured by high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT). This significant research was published in the Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle.
Researchers from various medical disciplines are utilizing the FIT Core databases to compare their study subjects with established reference populations. Warden noted, “This expedites the research process and reduces costs because researchers don’t need to recruit and test their own normal, healthy people for comparison.”
Data collected from FIT Core participants is linked to their electronic medical records, enabling researchers to request specific data sets based on various conditions or treatments. Additionally, blood samples from participants are stored in the Indiana Biobank. All provided data and samples are de-identified, ensuring participant privacy.
Currently, approximately 50 researchers in the U.S. and internationally are using the FIT Core for various studies. This includes research on breast cancer, cystic fibrosis, chronic kidney and liver diseases, osteoporosis, and rare bone diseases, among others.
Warden emphasized the importance of the FIT Core, stating, “Before the FIT Core, many researchers wouldn’t have considered including physical function and bone health outcomes in their research because such collective data didn’t exist or wasn’t widely available.” The resource encourages investigators to explore not only physiological outcomes but also how diseases impact physical capabilities and daily functioning.
As an integral part of musculoskeletal research at Indiana University, the FIT Core highlights the significance of incorporating physical therapy into medical research. “The FIT Core elevates the reputation of physical therapy on our campus and within the broader research community by contributing these types of outcomes for medical research,” Warden concluded.
For more information, refer to the study by Stuart J. Warden et al., titled “Reference Data and Predictors of HR‐pQCT‐Derived Muscle Density and Its Prediction of Physical Performance,” published in the Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle (2025). DOI: 10.1002/jcsm.70029.
