Power declines from about 40, and in men about 10% more than strength
Do you lose power faster than strength with age?
The finding
Strength and power both declined from about age 40 in men and women. In men, power fell about 10% more than strength; women showed no difference.
- Authors
- Metter EJ, Conwit R, Tobin J, Fozard JL
- Published
- Journals of Gerontology A 52(5):B267–76 · 1997
- Evidence
- Read in the primary source; numbers checked.
- Source
- doi.org/10.1093/gerona/52a.5.b267
How it was studied
Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging: upper-limb strength and power, measured about every 2 years over 25 years.
What it does not show
Upper limb only. Women were followed for only 4–5 years.
What Longstanding does with it
Two tests in the battery are timed rather than maximal (sit-to-stand and the stair climb), so they carry some of the power that a strength test misses.