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Cited by 529Balance, Gait, and Falls PreventionNutrition and Health in AgingFrailty in Older Adults

A Comparison of Leg Power and Leg Strength Within the InCHIANTI Study: Which Influences Mobility More?

Bean, J. F., Leveille, S. G., Kiely, D. K., Bandinelli, S., Guralnik, J. M., Ferrucci, L.·2003·The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences
DOI 10.1093/gerona/58.8.m728
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Abstract

BACKGROUND: In a clinical study evaluating the functioning of mobility-limited elders, muscle power accounted for more of the variation in function than strength did. There was also evidence that the power-function relationship may be described as curvilinear. However, these findings have never been confirmed in a representative population. METHODS: An analysis was conducted using data from the InCHIANTI study, a population-based cohort of 1032 adults living in Italy. To assess the relationships between impairments in power and strength and mobility performance, we created separate multivariate linear and log-transformed regression models as well as separate logistic regression models. RESULTS: Subjects were age > or = 65 years, predominantly female (54%), with a mean age of 74.2 years, and most had mild-moderate mobility limitations (Short Physical Performance Battery score 10.5 +/- 2.1). Though leg extension power and isometric hip extension strength were closely associated, in several separate multivariate linear regression models, leg power consistently explained more of the variance than strength did in several measures of physical performance. Differences were even larger when observed in curvilinear models of power and strength. Using separate multivariate logistic regression models to examine the odds ratios for mobility limitations in persons with low muscle power versus high muscle power, and in persons with low muscle strength versus high muscle strength, we found that both factors influenced risk for mobility limitations, but low power was associated with a 2-3-fold greater likelihood than low strength. CONCLUSION: These findings identified muscle power to be a more influential proximal determinant of physical performance than impairments in strength and emphasized muscle power as an important determinant of mobility skills in older adults.

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  • In a secondary analysis, changes in leg power were significantly and independently associated with the clinically meaningful differences observed in SPPB and gait speed.

    “In a secondary analysis of this study, Bean et al. (6) used multivariate regression models to delineate how the changes in leg power were significantly and independently associated with the clinically meaningful differences observed in SPPB and gait speed.”

    From Skeletal Muscle Power (2012) · cites this paper as [6]

    The Methods and Table 2 report adjusted regression models showing significant associations of leg power with SPPB scores and habitual gait speed. But the Discussion describes the analysis as cross-sectional: it did not assess changes in leg power or establish that changes were associated with clinically meaningful differences in those outcomes. The leg-power models were also separate from the strength models, rather than adjusted for strength. (LLM, conf=0.88)

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  • Age-related changes in skeletal muscle size and composition summate to yield reductions in skeletal muscle function (strength and power) that ultimately affect physical performance and the ability to live independently.

    “Age-related changes in skeletal muscle size and composition summate to yield reductions in skeletal muscle function (strength and power) [77] that ultimately affect physical performance and the ability to live independently [95].”

    From Gut Microbiota Contribute to Age-Related Changes in Skeletal Muscle Size, Composition, and Function: Biological Basis for a Gut-Muscle Axis (2018) · cites this paper as [95]

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Research works printed but not linked: 2

  1. Guralnik JM, Ferrucci L, Simonsick EM, Salive ME, Wallace RB. Lower extremity function over age of 70 years as a predictor of sub- sequent disability. N Engl J Med. 1995;332:556-561.
  2. Jette AM, Assmann SF, Rooks D, Harris BA, Crawford S. Interrelation- ships among disablement concepts. J Gerontol Med Sci. 1998;53: M395-M404. Figure

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Authors
Bean, J. F., Leveille, S. G., Kiely, D. K., Bandinelli, S., Guralnik, J. M., & Ferrucci, L.
Affiliations
  • Harvard University (US)
  • Hebrew SeniorLife (US)
  • Istituto Nazionale di Riposo e Cura per Anziani (IT)
  • National Institutes of Health (US)
ORCID
Venue
The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Published
2003-08-01
Volume
58
Issue
8
Pages
M728-M733
ISSN
  • 1079-5006 (ISSN-L)
  • 1758-535X
DOI
10.1093/gerona/58.8.m728
OpenAlex
W2172236533
Cited by
529
References
29
Citations by year
2026: 25 · 2025: 33 · 2024: 24 · 2023: 19 · 2022: 28 · 2021: 33 · 2020: 33 · 2019: 22 · 2018: 18 · 2017: 34 · 2016: 31 · 2015: 29 · 2014: 29 · 2013: 22 · 2012: 17
FWCI
35.43
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • The Journals of Gerontology Series A (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • Hartford Foundation for Public Giving
  • National Institute on Aging (K12-AG00294, K12AG000294)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation › Balance, Gait, and Falls Prevention
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Nutrition and Health in Aging
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Geriatrics and Gerontology › Frailty in Older Adults
Keywords
muscle power, muscle strength, leg extension power, mobility limitations, physical performance, older adults, power function relationship, curvilinear relationship, InCHIANTI cohort
MeSH terms
Aged, Female, Humans, Leg, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Muscles, Geriatric Assessment, Walking

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