Body-mass dependence of age-related deterioration in human muscular function

Maximal anaerobic power of human muscles declines with increasing chronological age and is correlated with body mass. This study investigated whether the rate of deterioration in human muscular function among trained weight lifters is also correlated with body mass. Cross-sectional analysis of performance data of over 1,100 Masters competitors in Olympic-style weight lifting was carried out; eight body-weight classes and six age groups were represented. Two-lift total data (sum of snatch and clean and jerk lifts) were analyzed. Mean deterioration rates in the performance of athletes of widely diverse body masses were compared over the following age ranges: 42-57, 42-62, and 42-67 yr. No statistically significant correlation (P < 0.05) was found between rate of performance decline and body mass. The relationship between body mass and the magnitude of age-related variation of deterioration rate was also studied; no significant correlation was found. Previous studies have demonstrated that performance in Olympic-style weight lifting is correlated with maximal anaerobic muscular power. This leads us to suggest that the age-related deterioration rate of anaerobic power in trained subjects may not be correlated with the body mass of the individual.