Normal aging is characterized by muscular atrophy and a loss of force-generating capacity. The goal of this research was to investigate the age and sport activity type on postural (vastus lateralis) and non postural (biceps femoris) muscles’ contraction time in 170 master athletes (athletic events) and 51 non athletes. We found significant age effect in postural muscle (P = 0.032) and also in non postural muscle (P < 0.001). However, we found sport activity type effect significant just in non postural muscle (P < 0.001). The interaction effect of age * sport was significant in both observed muscles. Sprinters/jumpers deteriorate with age the most in postural muscle, while non athletes in non postural muscle. We could conclude that non postural muscle deteriorate the most without regular sport activity, while postural muscle have enough daily stimuli to be prevented from major deterioration.
Akima, H., Kawakami, Y., Kubo, K., Sekiguchi, C., Ohshima, H., Miyamoto, A., & Fukunaga, T. (n.d.). Effect of short-duration spaceflight on thigh and leg muscle volume. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 32, 1743–1747.
Antonutto, G., Capelli, C., Girardis, M., Zamparo, P., & Prampero, P. E. (n.d.). Effects of microgravity on maximal power of lower limbs during very short efforts in humans. Journal of Applied Physiology, 86, 85–92.
Berg, H. E., Dudley, G. A., Haggmark, T., Ohlsen, H., & Tesch, P. A. (n.d.). Effects of lower limb unloading on skeletal muscle mass and function in humans. Journal of Applied Physiology, 70, 1882–1885.
Boer, M. D., Seynnes, O. R., Prampero, P. E., Pišot, R., Mekjavić, I. B., Biolo, G., & Narici, M. V. (n.d.). Effect of 5 weeks horizontal bed rest on human muscle thickness and architecture of weight bearing and non-weight bearing muscle. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 104(2), 401–407.
Dahmane, R., Djordjevič, S., Šimunič, B., & Valenčič, V. (n.d.). Spatial fiber type distribution in normal human muscle: Histochemical and tensiomyographical evaluation. Journal of Biomechanics, 38(12), 2451–2459.
Dahmane, R., Valenčič, V., Knez, N., & Eržen, I. (n.d.). Evaluation of the ability to make non-invasive estimation of muscle contractile properties on the basis of the muscle belly response. Medical & Biological Engineering & Computing, 39, 51–55.
Fiatarone, M. A., Marks, E. C., Ryan, N. D., Meredith, C. N., Lipsitz, L. A., & Evans, W. J. (n.d.). High-intensity strength training in nonagenarians: Effects on skeletal muscle. Journal of the American Medical Association, 263, 3029–3034.
Kubo, K., Akima, H., Kouzaki, M., Ito, M., Kawakami, Y., Kanehisa, H., & Fukunaga, T. (n.d.). Changes in the elastic properties of tendon structures following 20 days bed-rest in humans. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 83, 463–468.
Larsson, L., Grimby, G., & Karlsson, J. (n.d.). Muscle strength and speed of movement in relation to age and muscle morphology. Journal of Applied Physiology, 46, 451–456.
Larsson, L., Li, X., Berg, H. E., & Frontera, W. R. (n.d.). Effects of removal of weight-bearing function on contractility and myosin isoform composition in single human skeletal muscle cells. Pflügers Archiv, 432, 320–328.
LeBlanc, A., Rowe, R., Schneider, V., Evans, H., & Hedrick, T. (n.d.). Regional muscle loss after short duration spaceflight. Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine, 66, 1151–1154.
Lexell, J., Taylor, C. C., & Sjöström, M. (n.d.). What is the cause of the aging atrophy? Total number, size and proportion of different fiber types studied in whole vastus lateralis muscle from 15- to 83-year-old men. Journal of the Neurological Sciences, 84, 275–294.
Maganaris, C. N., Reeves, N. D., Rittweger, J., Sargeant, A. J., Jones, D. A., Gerrits, K., & Haan, A. (n.d.). Adaptive response of human tendon to paralysis. Muscle & Nerve, 33, 85–92.
Organization, W. H. (n.d.). Health and Development Through Physical Activity and Sport. WHO/NMH/NPH/PAH/03.2.
Pišot, R., Narici, M. V., Šimunič, B., Boer, M., Seynnes, O., & Jurdana, M. (n.d.). Whole muscle contractile parameters and thickness loss during 35-day bed-rest. Journal of Applied Physiology, 104(2), 409–414.
Prampero, P. E., & Narici, M. V. (n.d.). Muscles in microgravity: From fibres to human motion. Journal of Biomechanics, 36, 403–412.
Rittweger, J., Kwiet, A., & Felsenberg, D. (n.d.). Physical performance in aging elite athletes – Challenging the limits of physiology. Journal of Musculoskeletal & Neuronal Interactions, 4(2), 159–160.
Runge, M., Rittweger, J., Russo, C. R., Schiessl, H., & Felsenberg, D. (n.d.). Is muscle power output a key factor in the age-related decline in physical performance? A comparison of muscle cross section, chair-rising test, and jumping power. Clinical Physiology and Functional Imaging, 24, 335–340.
Sargeant, A. J., Davies, C. T., Edwards, R. H., Maunder, C., & Young, A. (n.d.). Functional and structural changes after disuse of human muscle. Clinical Science and Molecular Medicine, 52, 337–342.
Sato, T., Akatsuka, H., Kito, K., Tokoro, Y., Tauchi, H., & Kato, K. (n.d.). Age changes in size and number of muscle fibers in human minor pectoral muscle. Mechanisms of Ageing and Development, 28, 99–109.
Šimunič, B., Pišot, R., Djordjević, S., & Kugovnik, O. (n.d.). Age-related changes of the skeletal muscle contractile properties. 4th International Scientific Conference on Kinesiology: Science and Profession - Challenge for the Future, Proceedings Book, 570–573.
Tomonaga, M. (n.d.). Histochemical and ultrastructural changes in senile human skeletal muscle. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 25, 125–131.
Trappe, S., Trappe, T., Gallagher, P., Harber, M., Alkner, B., & Tesch, P. (n.d.). Human single muscle fiber function with 84 day bed-rest and resistance exercise. Journal of Physiology, 557, 501–513.
The statements, opinions and data contained in the journal are solely those of the individual authors and contributors and not of the publisher and the editor(s). We stay neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.