In people in their 70s, leg strength fell about three times faster than leg lean mass
How fast do older adults lose leg strength?
The finding
Annual leg strength decline was 3.4% (white men), 4.1% (black men), 2.6% (white women) and 3.0% (black women), against about 1% a year for leg lean mass.
- Authors
- Goodpaster BH, Park SW, Harris TB, et al.
- Published
- Journals of Gerontology A 61(10):1059–64 · 2006
- Evidence
- Read in the primary source; numbers checked.
- Source
- doi.org/10.1093/gerona/61.10.1059
How it was studied
Health ABC, enrolled at 70–79: 1,880 older adults followed for 3 years. Knee extensor strength by isokinetic dynamometry; lean mass by DXA and CT.
The numbers
Gaining lean mass did not prevent strength loss.
What it does not show
People aged 70 and over only. These rates do not apply to people in their 40s.
What Longstanding does with it
We do not quote a per-decade loss for people in midlife, because these longitudinal rates come from people in their 70s. The backcast line uses the norms at each age, not an assumed rate of loss.