Load-power relationship in older adults: The influence of maximal mean and peak power values and their associations with lower and upper-limb functional capacity

Diogo Luís Marques; Henrique Pereira Neiva; Daniel Almeida Marinho; Ivan Miguel Pires; Célia Nunes; Mário Cardoso Marques

doi:10.3389/fphys.2022.1007772

Load-power relationship in older adults: The influence of maximal mean and peak power values and their associations with lower and upper-limb functional capacity

Front Physiol. 2022 Sep 23:13:1007772. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2022.1007772. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Diogo Luís Marques¹, Henrique Pereira Neiva^{1

2}, Daniel Almeida Marinho^{1

2}, Ivan Miguel Pires³, Célia Nunes^{4

5}, Mário Cardoso Marques^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Sport Sciences, University of Beira Interior, Covilhã, Portugal.
² Research Center in Sports Sciences, Health Sciences and Human Development (CIDESD), Covilhã, Portugal.
³ Instituto de Telecomunicações, Universidade da Beira Interior, Covilhã, Portugal.
⁴ Department of Mathematics, University of Beira Interior, Covilhã, Portugal.
⁵ Centre of Mathematics and Applications, University of Beira Interior, Covilhã, Portugal.

Abstract

Identifying the relative loads (%1RM) that maximize power output (P_max-load) in resistance exercises can help design interventions to optimize muscle power in older adults. Moreover, examining the maximal mean power (MP_max) and peak power (PP_max) values (Watts) would allow an understanding of their differences and associations with functionality markers in older adults. Therefore, this research aimed to 1) analyze the load-mean and peak power relationships in the leg press and chest press in older adults, 2) examine the differences between mean P_max-load (MP_max-load) and peak P_max-load (PP_max-load) within resistance exercises, 3) identify the differences between resistance exercises in MP_max-load and PP_max-load, and 4) explore the associations between MP_max and PP_max in the leg press and chest press with functional capacity indicators. Thirty-two older adults (79.3 ± 7.3 years) performed the following tests: medicine ball throw (MBT), five-repetition sit-to-stand (STS), 10-m walking (10 W), and a progressive loading test in the leg press and chest press. Quadratic regressions analyzed 1) the load-mean and peak power relationships and identified the MP_max-load, MP_max, PP_max-load, and PP_max in both exercises, 2) the associations between MP_max and PP_max in the chest press with MBT, and 3) the associations between MP_max and PP_max in the leg press with STS_power and 10W_velocity. In the leg press, the MP_max-load was ∼66% 1RM, and the PP_max-load was ∼62% 1RM, both for women and men (p > 0.05). In the chest press, the MP_max-load was ∼62% 1RM, and the PP_max-load was ∼56% 1RM, both for women and men (p > 0.05). There were differences between MP_max-load and PP_max-load within exercises (p < 0.01) and differences between exercises in MP_max-load and PP_max-load (p < 0.01). The MP_max and PP_max in the chest press explained ∼48% and ∼52% of the MBT-1 kg and MBT-3 kg variance, respectively. In the leg press, the MP_max and PP_max explained ∼59% of STS_power variance; however, both variables could not explain the 10W_velocity performance (r ² ∼ 0.02). This study shows that the P_max-load is similar between sexes, is resistance exercise-specific, and varies within exercises depending on the mechanical power variable used in older adults. Furthermore, this research demonstrates the influence of the MBT as an upper-limb power marker in older adults.

Keywords: aging; chair stand; functional performance; medicine ball throw; muscle power; regression analysis; walking velocity.