title: Mobility and muscle strength in male former elite endurance and power athletes aged 66-91 years.
abstract: The aim of this cross-sectional study was to compare mobility and muscle strength in male former elite endurance and power athletes aged 66-91 years (n = 150; 50 men in both former elite athlete groups and in their control group). Agility, dynamic balance, walking speed, chair stand, self-rated balance confidence (ABC-scale), jumping height, and handgrip strength were assessed. Former elite power athletes had better agility performance time than the controls (age- and body mass index, BMI-adjusted mean difference -3.6 s; 95% CI -6.3, -0.8). Adjustment for current leisure time physical activity (LTPA) and prevalence of diseases made this difference non-significant (P = 0.214). The subjects in the power sports group jumped higher than the men in the control group (age- and BMI-adjusted mean differences for vertical squat jump, VSJ 4.4 cm; 95% CI 2.0, 6.8; for countermovement jump, CMJ 4.0 cm; 95% CI 1.7, 6.4). Taking current LTPA and chronic diseases for adjusting process did not improve explorative power of the model. No significant differences between the groups were found in the performances evaluating dynamic balance, walking speed, chair stand, ABC-scale, or handgrip strength. In conclusion, power athletes among the aged former elite sportsmen had greater explosive force production in their lower extremities than the men in the control group.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.|Folkhälsan Research Center, Helsinki, Finland.|Department of Health, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Turku and Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Manderoos
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wasenius
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.|Vantaa Health Center, Vantaa, Finland.
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Laine
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland.
authors.forename: U M
authors.initials: UM
authors.lastname: Kujala
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mälkiä
authors.affiliation: Department of Health, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Turku and Helsinki, Finland.|Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.|Institute of Molecular Medicine FIMM, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kaprio
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sarna
authors.affiliation: Joint Authority Administration, The Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Bäckmand
authors.affiliation: Arcada University of Applied Sciences, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Kettunen
authors.affiliation: Paavo Nurmi Centre & Department of Health and Physical Activity, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: O J
authors.initials: OJ
authors.lastname: Heinonen
authors.affiliation: Department of Health, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Turku and Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Jula
authors.affiliation: Department of Welfare, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aunola
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.|Folkhälsan Research Center, Helsinki, Finland.|Department of Health, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Turku and Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Eriksson
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D056352:Athletes; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015444:Exercise; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051346:Mobility Limitation; D053580:Muscle Strength; D004856:Postural Balance; D000072797:Walking Speed
keywords: agility performance; old elite athletes; physical functioning; vertical jump