A recent study led by Ohio University researchers has revealed that age-related physical weakness may stem more from changes in the nervous system than from the muscles themselves.

This finding challenges the traditional assumption that aging muscles are solely to blame for declining strength in older adults.

The research, published in JAMA Network Open, involved 66 older participants, mostly in their 70s. They were divided into three groups based on their physical strength: severely weak, modestly weak, and strong.

Each participant performed a test where they pushed against resistance using their leg muscles with as much force as they could manage. Once they reached what they felt was their limit, the researchers applied electrical stimulation to the muscle being used.

The electrical stimulation caused the muscles to generate additional force. This revealed that the perceived strength limit wasn’t entirely due to the muscles but was influenced by other factors, likely related to brain and nerve function.

The weaker the individual, the greater the extra force their muscles produced during electrical stimulation.

For example, participants in the “severely weak” group, who were generally older, showed a 14.2% increase in force from electrical stimulation.

This was double the 7.1% increase seen in the “strong” group. These results suggest that as people age, the nervous system plays a larger role in limiting their physical strength.

The study provides strong evidence that the nervous system—responsible for sending signals from the brain to the muscles—may become less efficient with age, contributing significantly to physical weakness.

This finding has important implications for helping older adults maintain strength and mobility. It suggests that therapies aimed at improving nerve function or the brain’s control over muscles could complement traditional strength training to combat age-related weakness.

The results highlight a new avenue for addressing mobility issues and improving quality of life for seniors. By focusing on the nervous system, researchers and healthcare providers may develop more effective strategies to preserve strength and independence in older adults.

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