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Muscle Quality, Strength, and Lower Extremity Physical Performance in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging
N Chiles Shaffer1, E Fabbri, L Ferrucci
1Nancy Chiles Shaffer, Ph.D., National Institute on Aging, MedStar Harbor Hospital, 3001 S. Hanover Street, 5th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21225, USA, Office: 410-350-3971, Fax: 410-350-7304,
The Journal of Frailty & Aging
|November 23, 2017
Summary
Simple measures of muscle quality, like grip strength and lean mass, are as effective as complex tests for predicting lower extremity performance. Muscle strength alone is sufficient for understanding muscle-related performance in older adults.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Kinesiology
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Muscle quality, defined as force per unit volume, lacks a standardized measurement, hindering research and clinical application.
- Existing research has not determined if complex muscle quality measures (e.g., isokinetic dynamometry) outperform simpler ones (e.g., grip strength) in predicting lower extremity performance (LEP).
- The comparative association of muscle quality versus muscle strength with LEP remains under-investigated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the concurrent validity of various muscle quality measures against LEP.
- To assess the relationship between different muscle quality metrics and LEP.
- To determine if muscle quality is more strongly associated with LEP than muscle strength alone.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional analysis of 365 men and 345 women (≥65 years) from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging.
- Muscle quality assessed via thigh cross-sectional area (TCSA), BMI-adjusted appendicular lean mass (ALMBMI) from DXA, and grip strength (Grip).
- Isokinetic and isometric knee extension strength (ID) and LEP were measured; concurrent validity was determined by variance explained in LEP.
Main Results:
- Grip strength and ALMBMI explained comparable variance in LEP to isokinetic dynamometry and TCSA in women and most men.
- Muscle quality measures did not demonstrate superior correlation with LEP compared to strength measures.
- Overall, muscle strength explained as much variance in LEP as muscle quality across all measures.
Conclusions:
- Simpler measures of muscle quality (grip strength, ALMBMI) exhibit similar validity for assessing LEP as more complex methods (ID, TCSA).
- Muscle strength alone appears sufficient for understanding the relationship between muscle function and LEP in older adults.
- While muscle quality assessment may offer insights into age-related muscle changes, strength measures may suffice for evaluating LEP.
