W4a - Ageing Flashcards
What is aging?
chronological: the number of time units over which an organism has existed following birth. biological: changes that occur as a result of declining functional systems. Chronological age is one of the most important risk factors for morbidity, yet people at the same chronological age often have markedly different biological aging states. For example, a very active, healthy man may have a very low biological age in comparison to his chronological age.
What is the exercise aging cycle?
adults often find dealing with their changing bodies and abilities emotionally difficult, which affects their self-esteem and increases anxiety and stress. These changes cause people to become even less interested in physical activity, which in turn further impairs them physiologically. This phenomenon is known as the exercise– aging cycle (Berger & Hecht, 1989)
compare how peak performance changes from young to older adulthood
research on highly skilled athletes indicates that peak athletic performance occurs between the ages of 25 and 35 (based on ages of World Record holders) During adolescence, many growth and developmental changes are still occurring, and the systems are not capable of working together for maximal function until early adulthood. On the other end of the spectrum, the biological capacity of older adults is declining, limiting their physiological capacity and peak performance
compare peak athletic performance for various sports and activities
Assessing the age of peak athletic performance in a sport such as baseball is more complicated than it is in track and field or swimming because of the complexity of the game and the large number of performance measurements compiled. . But the age of peak athletic performance depends on the most important physiological element of the sport. In gymnastics, the key element is the ratio of strength to body mass.
describe how movement patterns change from young to older adulthood in locomotor movements, fundamental movement patterns, and functional activities
In general, performance declines tend to occur at a fairly slow to moderate rate between 30 and 50 years of age, followed by a steeper performance decline from 50 to 60 years. After age 70, the reduction in performance is generally significant
Describe how gait changes from younger to older adulthood
Reduced gait speed is one of the most significant changes seen in healthy older adults, who walk on average 20 percent more slowly than young adults (Spirduso et al., 2005). The reduction in gait speed is surprisingly not the result of decreased stride frequency (the number of strides per unit of time). Rather, it is largely the result of reduced stride length (the distance traveled between right-foot contacts). More of a shuffle.
Describe how running changes from younger to older adulthood
Running: The movement pattern characteristics (kinematics) of older adults up to age 80 have been found to be the same as those of female university track athletes (Adrian & Cooper, 1995). On the other hand, few similarities were seen in the sprinting kinematics of older females and young athletes. Young athletes use longer strides and generate more force through greater flexion and extension. This enables them to take fewer strides.
Describe how jumping changes from younger to older adulthood
Jumping: Research on jumping has revealed age-related differences in the kinematics of vertical jumping. Young adult males (18-year-olds) were compared with males in their mid-60s on vertical jumping (Wang, 2008). The older men had significantly less strength in the knee and hip, which can affect the ability to perform other activities of daily living. During the jump, the older men exhibited less hip flexion and extension than the young men, but had no difference in their knees.
Describe how throwing changes from younger to older adulthood
Throwing: adults over the age of 70 using less mature throwing patterns (Williams et al., 1990, 1991). Very few older adults threw with developmentally advanced actions for any of the body segments. Older adults also threw with reduced range of motion and took smaller steps. When the throwing velocities of the older adults were compared with those of children and adolescents by Halverson, Roberton, and Langendorfer (1982), the older adults’ speeds were comparable to those of 8- and 9-year-old children
Describe how driving changes from younger to older adulthood
Driving: In general, older adults are safer drivers and are less likely to be involved in accidents than younger adults are. Yet because of their physical declines, older adults involved in accidents are much more likely to sustain serious injuries or die (Braver & Trempel, 2003). Driving shifts from an activity that is largely automatic to a chore, requiring more planning and increased concentration and cautiousness. Older adults are also quite variable, so rating driving ability solely on the basis of age would not be fair. One factor that may be as important, or even more important, to driving safety than these medical conditions, sensory limitations, and cognitive declines is the ability to self-assess changes affecting driving skills (Meng & Sirin, 2012).
Describe how writing changes from younger to older adulthood
Writing: Older adults often report having no impairment in handwriting, but research has shown that they write significantly more slowly and with less pressure than young adults do (Rosenblum & Werner, 2005). T
