Applied physiology of strength and power in old age.
The loss of strength and power in old age has important implications for health. Even with healthy elderly people, cross-sectional comparisons imply a loss of strength at some 1.5% per year and of power at some 3.5% per year (averaged across the age range 65 to 84). On the other hand, healthy, very elderly people are at least as responsive to strength-training as younger adults. It is important to establish whether elderly people derive functional benefit from training-induced improvements in strength and whether laboratory measurements of strength and power might be used to identify those elderly people most at risk of losing important, everyday functional abilities.
Young
A
A
University Department of Geriatric Medicine, Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine, London, United Kingdom.
Skelton
D A
DA
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D006801:Humans; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D009132:Muscles / Q000502:physiology*