Exercise and ageing

Question 1

What increases the likelihood of an exercise catastrophe?

Answer 1

Genetic disposition.
History of fainting of chest pain with exercise.
Unaccustomed vigorous exercise.
Exercise done with accompanying psychological stress.
Extremes of environmental temperature.
Exercise during viral infection or when feeling ill.
Mixing prescription drugs or dietary supplements.

Question 2

What are the exercise guidelines for older adults?

Answer 2

150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise across a week.
Strength exercise on at least 2 days a week
Those at risk of falls should do exercises to improve balance and co-ordination.

Question 3

What is the purpose of prehabilitation? What does it consist of?

Answer 3

Ensures individuals are ready to participate and therefore reduces exercise-associated risks.
It emphasises joint stretching, muscle activation, core stability, strength, balance and muscle co-ordination.

Question 4

How is strength affected as you age?

Answer 4

Decreases are clear after the age of 60 years.
There are steady declines of roughly 1-2% per year.
Those aged 70-80 score 20-40% lower on tests of isometric strength compared to young adults.
The very old show roughly 50% reduction in strength.

Question 5

What were the findings from Yamauchi (2010) on ageing and force, power and velocity?

Answer 5

Maximum isometric force declines.
Maximum power declines.
Maximum velocity remains constant.
An age related decline in muscular power has larger effects on force than shortening velocity of muscles.

Question 6

What were the findings from Izquierdo (1999) on ageing and loss of mobility?

Answer 6

Linear decrease in standing jump, standing long jump and counter movement jump as age increases.

Question 7

What were the findings from Laroche (2007) on ageing, activity levels and torque development?

Answer 7

Highly active elderly adults have higher peak torque and rate of torque development than less active older adults.

Question 8

What is the mechanisms of decline in muscular performance with ageing?

Answer 8

Muscle-fibre loss of motor units begins around the age 50-60.
Muscle size begins to decrease at roughly 30 years.
Muscle area decreases due to decrease number of fibres than receive stimulation.

Question 9

What were the findings from Janssen (2000) on ageing and deterioration of specific body segments?

Answer 9

Leg strength deteriorates quicker than arm strength due to loss of mobility in older adults meaning legs are working less while arms continue to work a similar amount. Also because there is a greater muscle mass in the legs there is more to loose to begin with.

Question 10

What are the effects of resistance training in the elderly?

Answer 10

Increases muscle mass.
Increases metabolic rate.
Increases resting metabolic rate.
Decreases body fat.

Question 11

What were the findings from Fontera (1988) on REx and knee flexion and extension in the elderly?

Answer 11

Knee extension increased by 107%

Knee flexion increased by 227%

Question 12

What were the findings from Harridge (1999) on REx and muscle mass in the elderly?

Answer 12

44% increase in Quadriceps cross sectional area.

Question 13

How does the neural system change with ageing?

Answer 13

40% decline in spinal cord axons

10% decline in nerve conduction velocity

Question 14

Why is there a decrease in nerve conduction velocity with ageing?

Answer 14

Increased distance between nodes of ranvier.
Preferential loss of fastest conducting axons.
Decrease in soma size.

Question 15

What were the findings from Van Meeteren (1997) on hindpaw lift in rats with crushed sciatic nerve?

Answer 15

Hind paw lift found to improve nerve conduction.

Question 16

What interventions can be taken to improve nerve conduction velocity?
How can nerve conduction velocity be affected by sport specificity?

Answer 16

Yoga can increase nerve conduction velocity.
Athletes will have different conduction velocities in their dominant and non-dominant limbs dependent on the nature of their sport.

Question 17

What are the implications of diabetes?

Answer 17

Reduced Sodium/Potassium ATPase activity.
Increased Sodium, Potassium, Sorbitol and Fructose.
Increased Osmosis.
Accumulated water compresses nerves.
Decreases nerve conduction velocity.

Question 18

What were the findings from Spirduso (1975) on activity levels and movement completion in the elderly?

Answer 18

Old active adults completed both simple and complex movements quicker than young non-active adults.

Question 19

What happens to lung function with ageing?

Answer 19

Lung function gradually deteriorates with age and appears to be a natural process.

Question 20

What were the findings from Hagberg (1988) on aerobic training and the elderly?

Answer 20

Older endurance trained athletes demonstrate better functional capacity. Highlighting the benefits of aerobic training.

Question 21

What happens to sprint power with ageing and why?

Answer 21

Sprint power declines roughly 5-7% per decade due to reduced stride length and increased contact time of foot with the ground.
Also there is increased tendon compliance.

Question 22

What were the findings from Tanaka (2001) on maximal HR and ageing?

Answer 22

Maximal HR decreases with increasing age, due to less frequent conduction generation from the SA node.

Question 23

What were the findings from Proctor (2004) in blood flow and the elderly?

Answer 23

Lower leg blood flow in older women compared to younger.

Question 24

Why is cerebral blood flow lower in older adults?

Answer 24

Cerebral vasoconstriction.

Question 25

What happens to body composition as you age?

Answer 25

After 18 you gain body fat and weight until the 5th or 6th decade.
After the 5th or 6th decade body mass begins to decrease despite increasing body fat.

Question 26

What were the findings from Pollock (1997) on ageing and body composition?

Answer 26

Increases in waist girth, waist:hip ratio, sum of skinfolds, and percentage body fat with increasing age from 50-70 years.
Decreases in fat free mass within the same parameters.