Age Related Changes in Motor Function (II). Decline in Motor Performance Outcomes

Age-related impairments in motor performance are caused by a deterioration in mechanical and neuromuscular functions, which have been investigated from the macro-level of muscle-tendon unit to the micro-level of the single muscle fiber. When compared to the healthy young skeletal muscle, aged skeletal muscle is: (1) weaker, slower and less powerful during the performance of voluntary contractions; (2) less steady during the performance of isometric contractions, particularly at low levels of force; and (3) less susceptible to fatigue during the performance of sustained isometric contractions, but more susceptible to fatigue during the performance of high-velocity dynamic contractions. These impairments have been discussed to be mainly the result of: a) loss of muscle mass and selective atrophy of type II muscle fibers; b) altered tendon mechanical properties (decreased tendon stiffness); c) reduced number and altered function of motor units; d) slower muscle fiber shortening velocity; e) increased oscillation in common synaptic input to motor neurons; and f) altered properties and activity of sarcoplasmic reticulum. In this second part of a two-part review we have detailed the age-related impairments in motor performance with a reference to the most important mechanical and neuromuscular contributing factors.