Strength and functional characteristics of men and women 65 years and older.

BACKGROUND: Resistance training programs for older adults (>65 years) are an effective method to counteract the loss of muscle mass, strength, and function associated with aging. Nevertheless, limited normative strength and functional data exist for the comparison and stratification of older adults. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to establish normative strength and functional data for males and females 64-69 years, 70-74 years, and 75+ years old, using commonly available equipment and procedures. METHODS: At total of 110 males and 191 females completed upper and lower body strength and functional performance testing. Measurements were compared across gender and age groups (65-69, 70-74, and 75+ years). RESULTS: All strength measures, absolute and relative (to body and lean muscle mass), were significantly (p < 0.01) greater in males compared with females. Additionally, younger participants were stronger (p < 0.01) compared with older participants. Similar findings were observed for the functional performance tests. Quartile ranking for relative strength and functional measures provides comparative data for clinical and research assessments. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides additional normative data for strength and functional performance in males and females aged 65-69, 70-74, and 75+ years and confirms lower performance in females and with aging even when adjusted for lean muscle mass.