A study has shown that measuring the time a person can stand balancing on one leg is a more accurate way to assess the progression of neuromuscular aging than measuring hand grip strength or knee strength.
Dr. Kenton Kaufman and his team at Mayo Clinic reported in the scientific journal PLOS ONE on the 24th that findings from tests on men and women over the age of 50 indicated that the time spent standing on one leg significantly decreases with aging. They suggested that this could serve as a measure of neuromuscular aging.
The research team highlighted that balance, muscle strength, and efficient gait are important for maintaining independence and well-being as people age. Measuring how these factors change over time can aid in developing programs for healthy aging.
In the study, the team tested 40 healthy and independent people over 50 in walking, balance, hand grip strength, and knee strength. Half of the participants were under 65, and the other half were over 65.
The balance test involved standing with eyes open on both feet, with eyes closed on both feet, standing on the dominant leg with eyes open, and on the non-dominant leg with eyes open, each for 30 seconds. Results showed that the ability to balance while standing on one leg, particularly the non-dominant leg, decreased the most with age.
Grip strength and knee strength also showed significant declines over a decade, though not as much as balance. Grip strength decreased faster than knee strength, with no notable gender differences in muscle strength decline.
In the walking test, which had participants walk back and forth on an 8-meter flat path at their normal pace, no significant age-related changes were observed. The research team attributed this to participants walking at a regular pace, not their maximal speed.
Dr. Kaufman stated that balance could be a critical measure because it requires input from vision, the vestibular system, and proprioception, along with muscle strength. He stressed that balance deterioration could lead to serious health issues and should be a focus area in aging. He added that falls are a leading cause of injury among adults over 65, often due to balance loss, and suggested that standing on one leg is a simple way to train balance and coordinate muscle and vestibular system responses.
(Photo credit: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, Yonhap News)