Does Obesity Affect the Rate of Force Development in Plantar Flexor Muscles among Older Adults?

Hamza Ferhi; Elmoetez Magtouf; Ahmed Attia; Sylvain Durand; Sébastien Boyas; Bruno Beaune; Sabri Gaied Chortane; Wael Maktouf

doi:10.3390/sports12040089

Does Obesity Affect the Rate of Force Development in Plantar Flexor Muscles among Older Adults?

Sports (Basel). 2024 Mar 25;12(4):89. doi: 10.3390/sports12040089.

Authors

Hamza Ferhi¹, Elmoetez Magtouf¹, Ahmed Attia¹, Sylvain Durand², Sébastien Boyas², Bruno Beaune², Sabri Gaied Chortane¹, Wael Maktouf³

Affiliations

¹ Research Laboratory (LR23JS01) Sport Performance, Health & Society, Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Ksar Saîd, University of La Manouba, Tunis 2010, Tunisia.
² Laboratory Movement, Interactions, Performance (UR 4334), Department of Sport Sciences, Faculty of Sciences and Technologies, Le Mans University, 72000 Le Mans, France.
³ Bioengineering, Tissues and Neuroplasticity, UR 7377, Faculty of Health/EPISEN, University of Paris-Est Créteil, 8 rue du Général Sarrail, 94010 Créteil, France.

Abstract

The literature offers limited information on the effect of obesity on the rate of force development (RFD), a critical parameter for mobility in older adults. The objectives of this study were to explore the influence of obesity on the RFD in older adults and to examine the association between this neuromuscular parameter and walking speed. The participants (42 older adults) were classified into two groups: the control group (CG, n = 22; mean age = 81.13 ± 4.02 years; body mass index (BMI) = 25.13 ± 3.35 kg/m²), and the obese group (OG, n = 20; mean age = 77.71 ± 2.95 years; BMI = 34.46 ± 3.25 kg/m²). Walking speed (m/s) was measured using the 10 m walking test. Neuromuscular parameters of the plantar flexors were evaluated during a maximal voluntary contraction test using a dynamometer. The RFD was calculated from the linear slop of the force-time curve in the following two phases: from the onset of the contraction to 50 ms (RFD_0-50) and from 100 to 200 ms (RFD_100-200). The gait speed was lower in the OG compared to the CG (p < 0.001). The RFD_50/100 and RFD_100/200 were lower in the OG compared to the CG (p < 0.001). The RFD_50/100 was found to be the predominant influencer on gait speed in the OG. In conclusion, obesity negatively impacts the RFD in older adults and RFD stands out as the primary factor among the studied parameters influencing gait speed.

Keywords: explosive force; overweight; triceps surae; walking.

Grants and funding

This research received no external funding.