Effects of age and physical activity on response speed in knee flexor and extensor muscles

Abstract

This study aims to determine the normalized response speed (V rn) in vastus lateralis (VL) and biceps femoris (BF) muscles in different age groups using tensiomyography. Eighty-four male subjects were divided into four age groups: teenage subjects (T); undergraduate students (U), adult subjects (A), and the elderly group (E). Differences in V rn were observed between E and T (p = 0.000), E and U (p = 0.000), and E and A (p = 0.018) for right VL and between E and T (p < 0.000) and U (p = 0.003) for left VL; between T and U (p = 0.010) and A (p = 0.000) for right VL, and A (p = 0.004) for left VL. V rn in the BF displayed different behavior from that of the VL, increasing moderately or stabilizing and declining slightly in E, in right leg (p = 0.020). The data obtained highlighted a decline in V rn for the VL in both legs with increasing age and, declines in BF response speed were observed only in E. © 2013 European Group for Research into Elderly and Physical Activity (EGREPA).