Ankle electromyography among the young and the elderly
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5935/0104-7795.20140026Keywords:
Electromyography, Postural Balance, AgedAbstract
Aging changes the musculoskeletal function and affects gait and body balance. Objective: To compare the electromyographic activity (EMG) of the ankles of physically active older and younger people. Method: Forty subjects of both genders considered physically active through the International Physical Activity Questionnaire - IPAQ (short format) participated in this study. Those with some kind of medical condition that could affect balance and muscle contraction did not participate in the study. We evaluated the electromyographic activity (EMG) of the tibialis anterior and triceps surae in bipedal stance (BS) and single-leg (US) with eyes open. To capture the EMG, monopolar Ag/AgCl surface electrodes from KENDALL (MEDITRACETM 200) were used. The Student t test was used for comparison between groups. The level of significance adopted was p < 0.05. Results: Elderly individuals exhibited higher values regarding the frequency of action potentials in 3 of the 4 conditions assessed. Conclusion: The older volunteers in this study exhibited a higher firing rate and recruitment of motor units of the ankle muscles to maintain the bipedal and unipedal stance, as compared to the younger.
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