Abstract
Objective: In this publication, we suggest that young adults and seniors use various defense mechanisms to counteract loss of balance. One of the hypotheses is the change in the coordination of antagonistic muscle groups, especially within the ankles. In this study, we tried to determine if there is a relationship between the condition from resilient, to pre-frail, to frail and the ability to maintain balance during free standing and balance tasks. The aim of the study was to define the importance of muscle activity in the ankle joint, dorsal flexor of the foot for the following: tibialis anterior (TA), plantar flexor of the foot gastrocnemius medialis (GM), gastrocnemius lateralis (GL), and peroneus longus (PER), during balance tasks with eyes open (EO) and closed (EC). We hypothesized that there are differences in the activity and co-activation of the tested muscles in young and older women, which may indicate an increased risk of falls and walking disorders. Materials and methods: A group of 20 women qualified for the study. The group was divided into two subgroups, young (G1) and elderly women (G2). The aim of the study was to define the importance of muscle activity in the ankle joint, dorsal flexor of the foot for the following: tibialis anterior (TA), plantar flexor of the foot gastrocnemius medialis (GM), gastrocnemius lateralis (GL), and peroneus longus (PER), during balance tasks with eyes open (EO) and closed (EC). Results: In this study, we observed significant differences between groups in the maximum and mean values of electromyography activity (EMG) activation of the examined muscles on different types of surfaces and with open and closed eyes. Older women generated higher values of EMG activation in all muscles except the gastrocnemius medialis muscle. The results were significant for co-activation at rest for muscles as follows: tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius medialis with eyes closed (p = 0.01) and peroneus and gastrocnemius lateralis at rest with eyes open (p = 0.03), eyes closed (p = 0.04), and on a foam (p = 0.02). The sEMG amplitude of the tested muscles means that agonist muscle activity changed relative to antagonistic muscle activity. Conclusions: Activation of sEMG and coordination of ankle muscles during balance tasks change with age. It can be hypothesized that assessment of balance during free standing and equivalent tasks can predict the state of frailty, after taking into account other physiological variables that are believed to affect balance control.
Highlights
MethodsA group of 20 women qualified for the study. The group was divided into two subgroups as follows: the first group, G1, were young women (22 ± 1.8 years, 165.7 ± 6.1cm, 53.3 ± 5.1 kg, and BMI (body mass index) 20.83 ± 2.8 kg/m2 ) and the second group, G2, were elderly women (69 ± 4.8 years, 155.7 ± 3.4 cm, 66.3 ± 6.7 kg, BMI 25.97 ± 2.69 kg/m2 , and MMSE (Mini-Mental StateExamination) 27.9 ± 2.1)
Frailty syndrome (FS) is characterized by a high susceptibility to adverse health effects, such as disability, weakness, falls, hospitalization, and mortality
The results of p-value (p < 0.05) of multiway analysis of variance (ANOVA) are small enough to conclude that the mean responses are significantly different for the defined four factors in the analysis of the mean and maximal values of electromyography activity (EMG) root mean square (RMS) amplitudes
Summary
A group of 20 women qualified for the study. The group was divided into two subgroups as follows: the first group, G1, were young women (22 ± 1.8 years, 165.7 ± 6.1cm, 53.3 ± 5.1 kg, and BMI (body mass index) 20.83 ± 2.8 kg/m2 ) and the second group, G2, were elderly women (69 ± 4.8 years, 155.7 ± 3.4 cm, 66.3 ± 6.7 kg, BMI 25.97 ± 2.69 kg/m2 , and MMSE (Mini-Mental StateExamination) 27.9 ± 2.1). Older women were diagnosed with frailty according to Fried’s criteria as follows: no weight loss was observed in the subjects; none of them reported exhaustion; physical activity, measured by the IPAQ short Polish version questionnaire [18], none of the women continued their professional work and the average physical activity was 1200 METday/week The study was performed on the dominant leg. All participants declared the right leg as dominant. The criterion of participation in the study were the following: the lack of lower limb injuries, neuromuscular system diseases, and fall history, as well as no sight or hearing disorders, and no problems with keeping balance. Participants did not report any medication intake and health impairments that could affect balance and muscle activity testing. Seniors with diabetes, untreated hypertension, glaucoma, endoprosthesis, stroke, eczema, and beta-blocker users were not included in the study
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