Abstract

This study investigated age-related changes in trunk muscle function in healthy men and the moderating effect of physical activity. Twelve older (67.3 ± 6.0years) and 12 younger (24.7 ± 3.1years) men performed isokinetic trunk flexion and extension tests across a range of angular velocities (15°/s-180°/s) and contractile modes (concentric and eccentric). For concentric trunk extension, mixed-effects analysis of covariance revealed a significant interaction between Angular velocity × Age group (p = .026) controlling for physical activity. Follow-up univariate analysis of covariance revealed that the younger group produced significantly greater peak torque for all concentric extension conditions. Eccentric trunk strength was somewhat preserved in the older group. Age-related changes in trunk strength were independent of physical activity. The normal loss of trunk muscle strength in older age is muscle- and contractile-mode specific. These findings provide guidance for effective intervention strategies to offset adverse health outcomes related to trunk strength loss in older adults.

Full Text
Published version (Free)

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call