Department of Health and Physical Activity, School of Education, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
J Strength Cond Res. 2009 Dec;23(9):2430-6. doi: 10.1519/jsc.0b013e3181bab46d.
Exercise is commonly recommended to counteract aging-related muscle weakness. While numerous exercise intervention studies on the elderly have been performed, few have included elite senior athletes, such as those who participate in the National Senior Games. The extent to which participation in highly competitive exercise affects muscle strength is unknown, as well as the extent to which such participation mitigates any aging-related strength losses. The purpose of this study was to examine isometric thigh muscle strength in selected athletes of the National Senior Games and healthy noncompetitive controls of similar age, as well as to investigate strength changes with aging in both groups. In all, 95 athletes of the Games and 72 healthy controls participated. Of the senior athletes, 43 were runners, 12 cyclists, and 40 swimmers. Three trials of isometric knee flexion and extension strength were collected using a load cell affixed to a custom-designed chair. Strength data were normalized to dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry-obtained lean mass of the leg. A 3-factor multivariate analysis of variance (group x gender x age group) was performed, which included both the extension and flexion variables (alpha = 0.05). Athletes exhibited 38% more extension strength and 66% more flexion strength than the controls (p < 0.001). Strength did not decrease with advancing age in either the athletes or the controls (p = 0.345). In conclusion, senior athletes who participate in highly competitive exercise have greater strength than healthy aged-matched individuals who do not. Neither group displayed the expected strength losses with aging. Our subject cohorts, however, were not typical of those over age 65 years because individuals with existing health conditions were excluded from the study.
锻炼通常被推荐用于对抗与年龄相关的肌肉力量下降。虽然已经进行了许多针对老年人的锻炼干预研究，但很少有研究包括精英老年运动员，例如参加全国老年人运动会的运动员。参与高度竞争的运动对肌肉力量的影响程度以及这种参与对任何与年龄相关的力量损失的缓解程度尚不清楚。本研究的目的是检查全国老年人运动会中选定运动员的等长大腿肌肉力量，以及与他们年龄相仿的健康非竞技对照组，并调查两组的力量随年龄的变化。共有 95 名运动员和 72 名健康对照组参加了这项研究。在老年运动员中，43 人是跑步运动员，12 人是自行车运动员，40 人是游泳运动员。使用固定在定制椅子上的称重传感器收集 3 次等长膝关节屈伸力量测试。力量数据通过双能 X 射线吸收法（DXA）获得的腿部瘦体重进行归一化。使用包括伸展和弯曲变量的 3 因素多变量方差分析（组 x 性别 x 年龄组）（alpha = 0.05）。运动员的伸展力量比对照组高 38%，弯曲力量比对照组高 66%（p < 0.001）。在运动员和对照组中，力量都没有随着年龄的增长而下降（p = 0.345）。总之，参加高度竞争运动的老年运动员比不参加的健康同龄个体具有更强的力量。两组都没有出现与年龄相关的预期力量下降。然而，我们的研究对象队列并不典型，因为有现有健康状况的人被排除在研究之外。
