Knee extension strength and walking speed in relation to quadriceps muscle composition and training in elderly women

Knee extension strength, walking speed, quadriceps muscle mass and composition of the muscle compartment were studied in 66 to 85-year-old female athletes and controls. Maximal voluntary knee extension force, force/body mass, extension torque, torque/body mass and walking speed were higher for the athletes than the controls. A muscle index indicating intramuscular fat and connective tissue measured using ultrasonography was lower for the athletes than the controls. There were no differences between the study groups in knee extension force related either to cross-sectional area (CSA) or lean tissue area (CSAL) of the quadriceps. Within the subgroups, there was no significant correlation between knee extension torque and CSA or CSAL of the same muscle. In the athletes high knee extension torque/body mass was related to a low muscle index and high walking speed to a low relative proportion of fat in the muscle. The muscle index was lower the more kilometers trained during the preceding year. In the controls high knee extension torque/body mass and high walking speed were related to a low relative proportion of fat. Knee extension torque and walking speed were higher the more kilometers walked during the preceding year. The results indicate that elderly female athletes have superior muscle performance compared to their age-peers. Performance in a maximal isometric strength test in elderly women is not clearly related to muscle mass. However, to some extent it is related to the composition of the same muscle, especially the degree to which fat is infiltrated into the muscle.