Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, Vol 51, Issue 3 B195-B201, Copyright © 1996 by The Gerontological Society of America

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Muscle torque in young and older untrained and endurance-trained men

SE Alway, AR Coggan, MS Sproul, AM Abduljalil and PM Robitaille
Department of Exercise Science, Ohio State University, Columbus, USA.

Plantar flexor torque was measured in 24 young (25 +/- 1.4 y) and older (62 +/- 2 y) untrained and endurance-trained men to test the hypothesis that age-associated declines in muscle function would be attenuated in older men who also endurance trained. Endurance-trained subjects averaged 7-9 h/wk of aerobic activity for 10-12 years. These subjects had not engaged in resistance training previously in the past 10 years. Plantar flexor torque was measured at velocities between 0 and 5.23 rads. s-1. In absolute terms, maximal isometric torque was 23% lower in older men compared to young men, regardless of their training status. On the other hand, relative measures of isometric strength (i.e., torque.muscle cross-sectional area-1 and torque.muscle volume-1) were similar in young and older men but were higher in trained than in untrained men. Isokinetic torque.muscle cross-sectional area-1 and torque.muscle volume-1 was greater at contraction velocities of 0.26- 2.09 rads.s-1 for trained subjects. These data suggest that endurance training does not attenuate the age-associated loss of muscle mass or absolute strength. However, endurance training might reduce the extent of loss of relative strength because torque-muscle cross-sectional area- 1 and torque.muscle volume-1 are greater in endurance-trained older men than in untrained older men.

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