Older adults showed slower, less accurate ankle force control
An observational comparison of 22 young and 22 older adults found differences in rapid ankle force control, but no difference in Achilles tendon stiffness.
Limit: Only 22 young and 22 older adults were compared
Edited by Boris Djordjevic · AgingResearch.News
In an observational study, 22 young adults averaging 22 years and 22 older adults averaging 72 years performed rapid plantar flexions—ankle pushes like pressing a pedal. They completed three sets of 10 pushes at force targets of 30% and 80% of their maximum voluntary force. Skin electrodes recorded muscle activity, and researchers measured Achilles tendon stiffness.
Older adults took longer to reach peak force, missed targets by more and showed more variable force and timing. They also showed altered muscle activation and poorer coordination, while tendon stiffness did not differ between groups. Slower, more variable activation of the lateral gastrocnemius, an outer calf muscle, largely predicted age-related slowing and variability. The authors suggested that muscle activation and coordination deficits may contribute more than tendon stiffness to these age-related difficulties.
Why it matters
Age-related impairments in balance and walking are linked to deficits in ankle pushing force. This work addresses which aspects of muscle control might serve as candidate markers of mobility decline and fall risk.
Caveats
This observational comparison could not establish cause and effect. The abstract does not report whether the muscle activity patterns predicted later mobility decline or falls.
- Achilles tendon stiffness
- Force error
- Force variability
- Surface electromyography
- Time to peak force
- Humans
The paper
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki; University of Florida Health
Experimental Gerontology, Jul 16, 2026, Open access
