THE INFLUENCE OF AGING ON MUSCLE QUALITY, MUSCLE SIZE, AND ISOKINETIC STRENGTH IN THE PLANTARFLEXOR MUSCLES

THE INFLUENCE OF AGING ON MUSCLE QUALITY, MUSCLE SIZE, AND ISOKINETIC STRENGTH IN THE PLANTARFLEXOR MUSCLES Public Deposited

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King, Gilbert Edward
- Affiliation: College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Exercise and Sport Science

Abstract

Aging often results in numerous physiological changes that result in reductions in maximal strength. Few previous studies have examined the influence aging on muscle size and quality and its impact on dynamic strength measures in the plantarflexor muscles. The primary purpose of this study was to examine the influence of aging on medial gastrocnemius muscle cross-sectional area (CSA), echo intensity (EI), and isokinetic plantarflexion strength. Twenty young (20±2 years) and 10 older (68±3 years) men volunteered for this study. Our results demonstrated that older adults produced (21 and 23 %) less torque (P<0.05) at 30 and 120°.s-1, respectively. In addition, there were no age-related reductions in muscle CSA (P=0.166), but an increase in EI (P=0.015) in the older adults. These findings suggest that the age-related reductions in isokinetic strength are a result of decreases in muscle quality (i.e. increase in connective/adipose tissue) rather than decreases in muscle size in older men.

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