Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences Large Type Edition
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

This Article
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Owings, T. M.
Right arrow Articles by Grabiner, M. D.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Owings, T. M.
Right arrow Articles by Grabiner, M. D.

Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, Vol 53, Issue 6 B425-B429, Copyright © 1998 by The Gerontological Society of America

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Normally aging older adults demonstrate the bilateral deficit during ramp and hold contractions

TM Owings and MD Grabiner
Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Ohio 44195, USA. owings@bme.ri.ccf.org

The bilateral deficit results from the maximum voluntary force of a bilaterally performed task being smaller than the sum of the maximum voluntary force of the unilaterally performed tasks. It is underlain by the limitation of the neural drive during maximum bilateral contractions and has been hypothesized to reflect the inability to fully activate high threshold motor units. Because high threshold motor units atrophy in older adults, a smaller bilateral deficit in older adults compared to young adults would further support the hypothesis. Indeed, K. Hakkinen et al. in 1995 and 1996 reported no bilateral deficit in older adults performing rapid maximum contractions. The present study extends this investigation to slowly developed maximum contractions. The results demonstrated a bilateral deficit (p < .05). This result, combined with the age related decrease in the number of high threshold motor units, tends to refute the contention that selective restriction of high threshold motor units causes the bilateral deficit during maximum voluntary isometric ramp and hold contractions.


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci.Home page
J. M. Thom, C. I. Morse, K. M. Birch, and M. V. Narici
Triceps Surae Muscle Power, Volume, and Quality in Older Versus Younger Healthy Men
J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci., September 1, 2005; 60(9): 1111 - 1117.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Appl. Physiol.Home page
J. K. Shim, B. S. Lay, V. M. Zatsiorsky, and M. L. Latash
Age-related changes in finger coordination in static prehension tasks
J Appl Physiol, July 1, 2004; 97(1): 213 - 224.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Appl. Physiol.Home page
N. Khodiguian, A. Cornwell, E. Lares, P. A. DiCaprio, and S. A. Hawkins
Expression of the bilateral deficit during reflexively evoked contractions
J Appl Physiol, January 1, 2003; 94(1): 171 - 178.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
All GSA journals The Gerontologist
Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences
Copyright © 1998 by The Gerontological Society of America.