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Comparison of twitch potentiation in the gastrocnemius of young and elderly men

European Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology volume 58, pages 395–399 (1989)Cite this article

Summary

The capacity for twitch potentiation in the gastrocnemius muscle was determined following maximal voluntary contractions (MVC) in 11 elderly (¯x±SD; 66.9±5.3 years) and 12 young (25.7±3.8 years) men. Potentiation was observed by applying selective stimulation to the muscle belly, 2 s after a 5 s MVC. With this procedure, both groups showed significant (P<0.05) increases in twitch tension in the gastrocnemius (ratios of potentiated twitch to baseline were ¯x=1.68±0.40 for young vs ¯x=1.40±0.20 for the elderly,P<0.001). Time to peak tension of the twitch decreased from ¯x=101.5±17.9 ms to ¯x=88.0±15.8 ms in the young men following po tentiation; the respective values for the older men were 136.7±17.9 ms and 133.1±28.6 ms. These changes resulted in a greater rate of tension development in the potentiated state. The elderly gastrocnemius thus showed qualitatively similar changes in the isometric twitch following potentiation, but reduced and prolonged responses in comparison to young adults. Slowed muscle contraction and reduced capacity for potentiation may be physiological correlates of the reported morphological changes in aged skeletal muscle.

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Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Physical Education, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario

    R. J. Petrella, D. A. Cunningham, A. A. Vandervoort & D. H. Paterson

  2. Department of Physiology, University of Western Ontario, N6A 5Cl, London, Ontario, Canada

    D. A. Cunningham

  3. Department of Physical Therapy, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario

    A. A. Vandervoort

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  1. R. J. Petrella
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  2. D. A. Cunningham
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  3. A. A. Vandervoort
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  4. D. H. Paterson
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Petrella, R.J., Cunningham, D.A., Vandervoort, A.A. et al. Comparison of twitch potentiation in the gastrocnemius of young and elderly men. Europ. J. Appl. Physiol. 58, 395–399 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00643515

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Key words

  • Aging
  • Physical fitness
  • Muscle contraction
  • Strength