Jump power, leg press power, leg strength and grip strength differentially associated with physical performance: The Developmental Epidemiologic Cohort Study (DECOS)

• Published in: Experimental gerontology 2021-03, Vol.145, p.111172-111172, Article 111172
• Main Authors: Winger, Mary E., Caserotti, Paolo, Ward, Rachel E., Boudreau, Robert M., Hvid, Lars G., Cauley, Jane A., Piva, Sara R., Harris, Tamara B., Glynn, Nancy W., Strotmeyer, Elsa S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Cohort Studies; Countermovement; Epidemiology; Female; Hand Strength; Humans; Leg; Lower Extremity; Male; Muscle; Muscle Strength; Physical function; Power; Walking
• ISSN: 0531-5565; 1873-6815
• DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2020.111172

Weight-bearing jump tests that measure lower-extremity muscle power may be more strongly related to physical performance measures vs. non-weight-bearing leg press power, leg press strength and grip strength. We investigated if multiple muscle function measures differentially related to standard physical performance measures. In the Developmental Epidemiologic Cohort Study (DECOS; N = 68; age 78.5 ± 5.5 years; 57% women; 7% minorities), muscle function measures included power in Watts/kg (functional, weight-bearing: jump; mechanical: Nottingham power rig; Keiser pneumatic leg press) and strength in kg/kg body weight (Keiser pneumatic leg press; hand-held dynamometry). Physical performance outcomes included 6 m usual gait speed (m/s), usual-paced 400 m walk time (seconds), and 5-repeated chair stands speed (stands/s). Women (N = 31; 79.8 ± 5.0 years) had lower muscle function and slower gait speed compared to men (N = 25; 78.7 ± 6.6 years), though similar 400 m walk time and chair stands speed. In partial Pearson correlations adjusted for age, sex, race and height, muscle function measures were moderately to strongly correlated with each other (all p