Table 1.
Participant characteristics by athletic status
| Control (CON) | Masters Endurance athletes (EMA) | Masters power athletes (PMA) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No | 18 | 14 | 11 |
| Age, y | 70.7 ± 3.7 | 68.6 ± 3.6 | 70.5 ± 6.8 |
| Physical properties | |||
| Lean mass, kg | 54.95 ± 5.3 | 54.48 ± 5.9 | 58.48 ± 4.0 |
| Fat mass, kg | 16.87 ± 4.7b | 7.92 ± 3.3 | 13.80 ± 5.3b |
| PQCSA, cm2 | 62.2 ± 7.4 | 64.8 ± 11.0 | 75.8 ± 12.4ab |
| Grip strength, N | 43.2 ± 6.3 | 41.0 ± 4.9 | 44.3 ± 5.2 |
| Jump power, W/kg | 2.47 ± 0.37 | 2.29 ± 0.31 | 2.79 ± 0.56b |
| TUG, s | 5.91 ± 0.43 | 5.41 ± 0.42a | 5.36 ± 0.66a |
| MUP features | |||
| Complexity (no. of turns) | 4.23 ± 0.81 | 4.51 ± 0.93 | 4.25 ± 1.1 |
| Duration, ms | 16.3 ± 1.87 | 16.15 ± 3.01 | 15.72 ± 2.07 |
| Firing rate, Hz | 9.11 ± 1.19b | 8.30 ± 1.01 | 9.61 ± 1.69b |
Data are mean ± standard deviation
PQCSA, peak quadriceps cross-sectional area; TUG, timed up and go; MUP, motor unit potential
The values in bold in the tables reflect statistically significant (p < .05) differences between groups. aSignificant difference to CON; bsignificant difference to EMA. All MUP features were recorded at 25% MVC