title: Effects of dynamic exercise on muscle function in elderly men, aged 70 years.
abstract: The maximal electrically evoked and voluntary contractions of the triceps surae were measured, before and after 30 min of continuous uphill walking, in 8 elderly men aged 67-71 years. The exercise was performed on a motor-driven treadmill and corresponded to 66-74% of their predicted maximal aerobic power output. During the control period, before exercise, twitch tension (Pt), time-to-peak tension (TPT) and half relaxation time (1/2RT) of the maximal twitch response were 102 +/- 29 N, 156 +/- 15 ms and 98 +/- 11 ms; the tetanic responses at frequencies of 10 Hz (PO10) and 20 Hz (PO20) and the maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) averaged 600 +/- 103, 766 +/- 106 and 1,225 +/- 185 N, respectively. The fatigue index in response to a 2-min test involving repeated tetanisation of the triceps surae was 0.40 +/- 0.14. None of these variables (except TPT which was decreased to 145 +/- 11 ms, p less than 0.001) was significantly changed following exercise. It was concluded that exercise of relatively high intensity and duration in healthy elderly men does not impair the force-generating capacity of the lower leg muscles nor increase their fatigability.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009119:Muscle Contraction; D009132:Muscles / Q000502:physiology*; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D005082:Physical Exertion; D013997:Time Factors