Rate of power development of the knee extensors across the adult life span: A cross-sectional study in 1387 Flemish Caucasians.

Rate of power development of the knee extensors across the adult life span: A cross-sectional study in 1387 Flemish Caucasians. Exp Gerontol. 2018 Jun 25;: Authors: Van Roie E, Van Driessche S, Inglis AJ, Thomis M, Delecluse C Abstract A growing body of research in elderly populations suggests that the early phase of an explosive muscle contraction (i.e., ≤200 ms) may be more functionally relevant than peak values. However, age-related variation in early phase explosive strength have never been investigated across the full-adult life span. This cross-sectional study investigated the age-related changes in the rate of power development (RPD) and compared it to the changes in peak power (Ppeak), both in terms of magnitude and onset, across the adult life span. Age-related declines in power and determinants of muscle power were compared between sexes. 1387 adults (♂813, ♀574), aged 18-78 years, performed three maximal isoinertial knee extensor tests at 20% of their isometric maximum on a Biodex dynamometer. Ppeak was calculated as the highest value and RPD as the linear slope of the power-time curve. Velocity (v) and torque (T) at Ppeak were registered. In both men and women, the decline in Ppeak and RPD was already apparent from 40 years onwards. Annual percent decline rates were greater for RPD (-1.1% for men and -1.3% for women) than Ppeak (-0.9% for men and -1.0% for women). Velocity at Ppeak showed the lowest annual per...
Source: Experimental Gerontology - Category: Geriatrics Authors: Tags: Exp Gerontol Source Type: research