Differences in size, strength, and power of upper and lower body muscle groups in young and older men
Abstract
We compared muscle thickness, torque, normalized torque (torque/muscle thickness), and power at 1.05 rad/s and 3.14 rad/s in flexor and extensor muscles of the elbow and knee, and in ankle plantar flexors in young (n=22, 18-31 years) and older (n=28, 59-76 years) men. Young men had greater muscle thickness for all muscle groups (p<.01), except elbow extensors, which were similar to older men. Young men had greater torque and power at both velocities for all muscle groups (p<.01), and greater normalized torque at both velocities for the elbow extensors and knee flexors and at the fast velocity for knee extensors. Relative to young mean values, muscle thickness, and torque, normalized torque, and power in the older group were most affected for lower-body measurements, especially at the fast velocity. Torque, normalized torque, and power (especially at fast velocities), and muscle thickness in the lower body are affected more by aging than are upper body measures in men.
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Ageing brings a progressive decline in muscle mass, strength, and quality, along with an increase in fat mass.
“Ageing is accompanied by major changes in body composition that can negatively affect functional status in older adults, including a progressive decrease in muscle mass, strength, and quality, accompanied by an increase in fat mass.1,2”
From Age-related and disease-related muscle loss: The effect of diabetes, obesity, and other diseases (2014) · cites this paper as [1]
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- Authors
- Candow, D. G., & Chilibeck, P. D.
- Affiliations
- University of Saskatchewan (CA)
- Corresponding author
- Candow, D. G.
- ORCID
- Candow, D. G.
- Venue
- The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2005-02-01
- Volume
- 60
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 148-156
- ISSN
- 1079-5006 (ISSN-L)
- 1758-535X
- OpenAlex
- W2147758671
- Cited by
- 272
- References
- 41
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 16 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 17 · 2021: 18 · 2020: 20 · 2019: 15 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 17 · 2016: 16 · 2015: 14 · 2014: 19 · 2013: 16 · 2012: 18
- FWCI
- 3.20
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- The Journals of Gerontology Series A (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- University of Saskatchewan
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Nutrition and Health in Aging
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Biomedical Engineering › Muscle activation and electromyography studies
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › Muscle metabolism and nutrition
- Keywords
- muscle thickness, muscle strength, muscle power, aging, upper body, lower body, elbow flexors, elbow extensors, knee flexors, knee extensors, ankle plantar flexors, torque, older men
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Aging, Elbow, Humans, Knee, Male, Middle Aged, Motor Activity, Muscle, Skeletal, Torque
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