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Digit force control in olderadults: Benefits of resistance-training?

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Abstract

This paper seeks to review the effect on digit force control of: 1) the ageing process; and 2) the resistance-training in older adults. Significant age-related decreases in finger-pinch force control were observed in many but not all studies. Those that didn't report age-related differences involved bi-digit finger-pinch tasks requiring the production of constant forces only. This suggests that the age-related decline in force control becomes more pronounced the more challenging the force production task. While three studies reported that resistance-training improved older adults' digit force control capabilities, it is unclear if these improvements would occur in tasks that: 1) require the coordinated activity of multiple fingers and muscles; but 2) are not specifically performed during training. Future research in this area should use more “real-world” tasks to increase the generalisability of these findings, while recording individual digit forces and muscle activity to gain further insight into the mechanisms responsible.

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    Justin W. L. Keogh

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Keogh, J.W.L. Digit force control in olderadults: Benefits of resistance-training?. Ageing Int. 31, 217–231 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02915230

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