With age, the body's center of gravity shifts, significantly reducing the time it takes to maintain balance on one leg in older adults. Remarkably, age had no effect on gait parameters. The study was published in the journal PLoS One.
A gradual decline in physical activity is considered a characteristic feature of aging. Older adults experience gradual degeneration of skeletal muscles, leading to a gradual loss of muscle mass and strength. This can lead to disability and multiple pathologies. Adequate muscle strength, an efficient gait, and good balance are essential factors for independence and well-being, so understanding how aging deteriorates these parameters can help maintain them.
However, little is known about how and when exactly these parameters decline. Although previous studies have examined age-related factors influencing gait, balance, and strength, they were based on limited data and suffered from methodological flaws.
A research team led by Kenton Kaufman of the Mayo Clinic conducted a cross-sectional study of how aging affects gait, balance, and strength in healthy, independent adults. The scientists also compared the rates of age-related decline in these parameters.
A total of 20 people under 65 and 20 people over 65 (10 men and 10 women in each group) participated in the study. Their upper and lower extremity isometric strength, static balance (two-legged stance with eyes open and closed, stance on the dominant and non-dominant leg with eyes open), and gait characteristics were measured using a motion capture system.
In their analysis, the researchers found a significant interaction between strength parameters, age, and gender (p < 0.001 for arms, p = 0.005 for legs). Isometric arm strength decreased by 3.7 percent per decade in both genders, while leg strength decreased by 1.4 percent per decade. Furthermore, analysis of balance parameters revealed that older subjects had more movements while standing on both legs with both eyes open and closed, compared to younger subjects. Although the initial analysis showed that maintaining one-leg balance was not a reliable predictor of aging, analysis of standard deviations demonstrated the greatest change per decade in the duration of maintaining one-leg balance, followed by the magnitude of the shift in the center of gravity during upright gait. Notably, none of the gait parameters were associated with age. According to the authors, the study's results demonstrate the importance of measuring balance when monitoring older adults, regardless of gender. They also conclude that the length of time a person can balance on one leg can be considered a reliable indicator of aging. We previously reported that Mr. Teabag's gait from the Monty Python sketch "The Ministry of Silly Walks" was found to be 2.5 times more energy-consuming than that of an average person.
