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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Maximal isometric muscle strength and anthropometry in 75-year-old men and women in three Nordic localities

subject

description

Isometric maximal strength of hand grip, elbow flexion, knee extension, trunk extension and trunk flexion was studied in representative samples of 75-year-old residents of 3 Nordic localities: Glostrup in Denmark, Gothenburg in Sweden and Jyvaskyla in Finland. The study forms a part of a wider comparative research project analyzing the functional capacity and health of 75-year-olds in these towns. The strength measurements were carried out using standardized techniques and identical dynamometers. The results showed that the strength values of the limb muscles were significantly lower among the 75-year-olds in Jyvaskyla, both in absolute values and in relative units (N/kg body mass). For the trunk muscles, the women in Glostrup had significantly lower strength values than their counterparts from the two other localities, while among men there were no significant differences. The isometric strength values correlated strongly with the anthropometric characteristics, especially lean body mass. This was true for all the muscle groups studied. The results thus indicated considerable differences in muscular strength between the 75-year-olds in the 3 Nordic localities. These differences may partly be due to differences in basic anthropometric characteristics.