Final - Exercise and Aging Flashcards
What is aging?
- a process or group of processes occurring in living organisms that with the passage of time, lead to a loss of adaptability, functional impairment, and eventually, death
- difficulty is teasing out the effect of primary aging from concurrent disease, physical inactivity and other environmental factors
who is an “older” adult?
someone >65 years old or someone 50-64 with clinically significant conditions or physical limitations that affect movement, physical fitness or physical activity
physically elite older adults
- sports competition
- senior olympics
- high risk and power sports
physically fit older adults
- moderate physical work
- all endurance sports and games
- most hobbies
physically independent older adults
- very light physical work
- hobbies
- low physical demand activities
- can pass all IADL
Physically frail
- light housekeeping
- food preparation
- grocery shopping
- can pass some IADLs and all basic ADLs
physically dependent older adults
- cannot pass some or all basic ADLs
- needs home or institutional care
definition of physically frail
severe impairments in strength, mobility, balance and endurance due to muscles that are weka and highly fatiguable
neuromuscular variables associated with aging:
- decrease in number and size of motor neurons
- decrease in conduction velocity and maximum frequency
- increase in the excitability threshold of muscle
- decreased proprioception and vestibular functions
result of aging changes:
- slower reaction times
- control of movement is less precise
- balance abnormalities
- increased risk of falling
sarcopenia
loss of muscle mass with aging
contributes important to decreases in muscular strength with aging
strength loss can lead to ….
limited mobility and increased risk of falling
Muscle mass decreases with aging
- decrease in total number of muscle fibers –> denervation leads to degeneration of muscle fibers
- contractile protein content dependent on activity status
When does number of muscle fibers begin to change?
age 50
Does strength or muscle mass decrease at a faster rate?
strength