Objective: we measured muscle strength and functional mobility in healthy men and women over the adult age range to investigate the changes with age and sex, and to establish the effects of the anthropometric indices height and weight. Design: cross-sectional study. Subjects and methods: we recruited 74 healthy women (mean age 49.0, range 20-90) and 81 healthy men (mean age 51.6, range 20-90). We measured maximum isometric knee extension strength, handgrip strength and explosive leg extensor power. We assessed functional mobility quantitatively with the timed 'get up and go' test and the modified Cooper test. Results: older subjects had lower values for muscle strength and muscle power than young subjects. Times for the timed 'get up and go' test were longer and distances in the modified Cooper test shorter. At about the age of 55, women showed an acceleration in the decline of isometric knee extension strength and handgrip strength (between 20 and 55 years, knee strength decreased by 10.3% and handgrip strength decreased by 8.2%, between 55 and 80 years the decreases were 40.2% and 28% respectively). Men showed a more gradual declines over the adult age range, with decreases in knee and handgrip strength of 24% and 19.6% between 20 and 55 years, and 23% and 17.4% between 55 and 80 years. The age-related decline is partly associated with differences in height and body weight. Women had higher correlations between muscle strength and functional mobility tests than men. Conclusions: muscle strength and functional mobility decline with age in healthy people; in women we observed an accelerated decrement in muscle strength above the age of 55. Lower values in healthy old subjects are partly associated with differences in height and body weight.

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