It is well established that aging seriously reduces isometric and concentric muscle strength due to atrophy, deterioration of mechanical properties, and motor unit loss. However, there is limited information on the impact of aging on eccentric strength despite the fact that such forces play an equally important role during daily activities. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of aging on three expressions of muscle strength (isometric, concentric, and eccentric) in relation to muscle fiber characteristics, with special emphasis on eccentric force. Sedentary but healthy men (age range 18-80 years, n = 60) and women (20-74 years, n = 30) were tested for maximal effort isometric, concentric, and eccentric (1.05, 2.09, 3.14 rads.s-1) quadriceps strength, body composition, and muscle fiber characteristics of the vastus lateralis (men only). There was a significant (p < .05) approximately 30 N per decade decline in isometric and concentric forces, but only 9 N per decade reduction in eccentric strength. There was a significant reduction in Type II muscle fiber area with aging (p < .05). Isometric, eccentric, and concentric force correlated r = .33, r = .32 (p < .05), and r = .12 (p > .05) with Type II muscle fiber area, respectively. The correlation between age and fat-free mass/force ratio ranged from r = .39 to .43 in men and r = .27 to .50 in women. The data suggest a relative preservation of eccentric strength with aging in men and women that seems to be independent of muscle mass or muscle fiber type or size.

This study compared muscle adaptations after 7 days of exercise with eccentric-overload (EO) or standard (ST) resistive training in young (20 years) and older (69 years) adults. Young EO and ST gained 103 and 30 N, respectively, and older EO and ST gained 63 and 25 N of strength, respectively (all p < .05). Types I and IIa MHC mRNA levels were not altered, but Type IIx levels decreased 31% and 63% after the first and seventh exercise bouts, respectively, in young and decreased 30% after the seventh bout in older participants (all p < 05), independent of loading type. Type 11a fiber increased. Type IIx decreased, and Type IIa increased in both age groups independent of loading type (all p < 05). Electron microscopy revealed no myofibrillar disruption in young or older muscle. These data suggest that short-term EO produces larger strength gains than does ST without muscle-cell disruption or loading-type-specific changes in MHC mRNA isoforms in young and older skeletal muscle.