6533b871fe1ef96bd12d222c

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Age dependency of neuromuscular function and dynamic balance control

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Abstract The purpose of the present study was to examine whether static and dynamic balance control are related to neuromuscular function and ageing. For this purpose, we constructed a new dynamic balance measurement system that simulates natural falling. Ten young (age 21–31 years) and 20 elderly (age 60–70 years) men participated in the experiment. Maximal isometric torque (MVC) and activation level were measured from the quadriceps and plantar flexor muscles. The H-reflex, V-wave, and maximal M-wave were measured from the soleus muscle. In dynamic balance control, anterior-posterior centre-of-pressure swaying was 74±8.1 mm in the young men and 91.5±19.4 mm in the elderly men (P<0.05), whereas in the static condition there were no significant differences between the two groups. Knee extension MVC (young: 181±42 N·m; elderly: 135±39 N·m; P<0.01), torque after 500 ms (young: 147±36 N·m; elderly: 108±39 N·m; P<0.05), and activation level (young: 96.2±0.8%; elderly: 93.8±2.1%; P<0.01) were higher in the you...