Effects of Dynamic Exercise on Muscle Function in Elderly Men, Aged 70 Years

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Abstract
The maximal electrically evoked and voluntary contractions of the triceps surae were measured, before and after 30 min of continuous uphill walking, in 8 elderly men aged 67–71 years. The exercise was performed on a motor-driven treadmill and corresponded to 66–74% of their predicted maximal aerobic power output. During the control period, before exercise, twitch tension (Pt), time-to-peak tension (TPT) and half relaxation time (½RT) of the maximal twitch response were 102 ± 29 N, 156 ± 15 ms and 98 ± 11 ms; the tetanic responses at frequencies of 10 Hz (Po10) and 20 Hz (Po20) and the maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) averaged 600 ± 103, 766 ± 106 and 1,225 ± 185 N, respectively. The fatigue index in response to a 2-min test involving repeated tetanisation of the triceps surae was 0.40 ± 0.14. None of these variables (except TPT which was decreased to 145 ± 11 ms, p < 0.001) was significantly changed following exercise. It was concluded that exercise of relatively high intensity and duration in healthy elderly men does not impair the force-generating capacity of the lower leg muscles nor increase their fatigability.