Articles

Involvement of advanced glycation end products in the pathogenesis of diabetic complications: the protective role of regular physical activity

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) may play an important role in the pathogenesis of chronic diabetic complications and in the natural process of biological aging. In fact, maintained hyperglycaemia favour...

Authors: P. M. Magalhães, H. J. Appell and J. A. Duarte

Role of physical activity in the prevention of falls and their consequences in the elderly

This work aims to provide an inventory of the risk factors and consequences of falling in the elderly, namely fractures, and to identify strategies to prevent falls and minimise their effects. Falls in elderly...

Authors: Catarina L. N. Pereira, Peter Vogelaere and Fátima Baptista

Motor-skill learning in older adults—a review of studies on age-related differences

This paper reviews research on motor-skill learning across the life span with particular emphasis on older age. For this purpose, studies that focus on age-related differences in fine and gross motor skills an...

Authors: Claudia Voelcker-Rehage

Endurance performance in masters athletes

Masters athletes are typically older than 35 years of age and systematically train for, and compete in, organized forms of sport specifically designed for older adults. They are motivated to participate in mas...

Authors: Peter Reaburn and Ben Dascombe

Alterations in IGF-I affect elderly: role of physical activity

The growth hormone–insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) axis is an important physiological regulator muscle for development. Although there is evidence that aging muscle retains the ability to synthesize IGF-I...

Authors: Sagiv Moran, Yamin Chen, Amir Ruthie and Yenon Nir

Osteoporosis, falls and exercise

Osteoporosis, a manifestation of bone atrophy that leads to great susceptibility to fractures, is a very important public health problem today because of its great morbidity, mortality and important economic r...

Authors: Agustín Meléndez-Ortega

Aging effects on joint proprioception: the role of physical activity in proprioception preservation

Throughout the human life span the functions of several physiological systems dramatically change, including proprioception. Impaired proprioception leads to less accurate detection of body position changes in...

Authors: Fernando Ribeiro and José Oliveira

Effects of a multimodal activation program (SimA-P) in residents of nursing homes

Is it possible to maintain or even enhance functional and cognitive independence in residents of nursing homes? Little is known about the potentials and limits of therapeutic methods designed to maintain indep...

Authors: W. D. Oswald, T. Gunzelmann and A. Ackermann

The role of physical activity in the elderly as primary prevention

Authors: Michael Sagiv

Hypertension in aging: physical activity as primary prevention

In most physiologic systems, there is considerable evidence that the normal aging processes do not result in significant impairment or dysfunction in the absence of pathology and under resting conditions. Howe...

Authors: D. Ben-Sira and J. M. F. Oliveira

The relevance of situation awareness in older adults’ cognitive functioning: a review

Age-related declines in cognition may have detrimental effects on older adults’ ability to complete everyday activities that young- and middle-aged individuals perform automatically. Theories of cognitive agin...

Authors: Ryan J. Caserta and Lise Abrams

Abstracts

Authors:

Physical activity and successful aging

Authors: Rolf Ehrsam

Editorial—aging and physical activity in the focus of science

Authors: Heinz Mechling

How to improve gait and balance function in elderly individuals—compliance with principles of training

Most balance training regimens for elderly individuals focus on self-controlled exercises, although automatic postural responses after a balance perturbation are not under direct volitional control. We critica...

Authors: Lars I. E. Oddsson, Patrick Boissy and Itshak Melzer

Does the theory of planned behavior elements mediate the relationship between perceived constraints and intention to participate in physical activities? A study among older individuals

This study aimed to investigate the degree to which the elements of the theory of planned behavior mediate the relationship between constraints and intention to continuing participation in physical activities....

Authors: Konstantinos Alexandris, Vasilis Barkoukis and Charalampos Tsormpatzoudis

Housing for the aging population

Based on the concept of ‘aging in place,’ design of houses in the past years are explored. Design features in the built environment become barriers for aging people with functional limitations. Initially, hous...

Authors: Halime Demirkan

Effects of Tai Chi exercises on self-efficacy and psychological health

This review offers an update of the psychological effects of Tai Chi Chuan (TC) among different populations. A computerized literature research from 1990 to June 2006 was carried out. Studies were selected whe...

Authors: Arnaud Dechamps, Lucile Lafont and Isabelle Bourdel-Marchasson

Diabetes, aging and physical activity

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disease affecting the regulation of insulin and glucose causing a disruption in the normal control of counterregulatory hormones and macronutrients, resulting in blood glu...

Authors: Bruce Frier, Pearl Yang and Albert W. Taylor

Ceasing of muscle function with aging: is it the consequence of intrinsic muscle degeneration or a secondary effect of neuronal impairments?

Aging is associated with a significant decline in neuromuscular function leading to an eventual loss of independence and mobility of senescent people. Age-related sarcopenia, characterised by a reduction in mu...

Authors: P. A. Figueiredo, M. P. Mota, H. J. Appell and J. Duarte

Evaluation of myocardial alterations using the enzymatic profile of elderly long-distance runners

Elderly population often is encouraged to practice sports in preventing cardiovascular diseases. However, evidences exist that intense physical efforts are related with a higher risk for acute myocardial infar...

Authors: C. A. Souza and L. E. Garcez-Leme

Hip protectors in the elderly: lack of effectiveness or just suboptimal implementation?

Hip protectors seemed to be the only non-pharmacological intervention to effectively prevent hip fractures in high-risk populations. In contrast, recently published trials did not find hip fracture reduction t...

Authors: G. Meyer and I. Mühlhauser

Healthy mind in healthy body? A review of sensorimotor–cognitive interdependencies in old age

We review four broad lines of research on couplings between sensorimotor and cognitive aging, with an emphasis on methodological concerns. First, correlational cross-sectional and longitudinal data indicate in...

Authors: Sabine Schäfer, Oliver Huxhold and Ulman Lindenberger

Aging-related temporal constraints to stability and instability in postural control

In this study, we review the evidence that older adults tend to have both a shorter time to lose stability in the maintenance of standing posture and the functionally related but inverse problem of needing mor...

Authors: Semyon M. Slobounov, Pamela S. Haibach and Karl M. Newell

Editorial

Authors: Michael Sagiv

Best practices for physical activity programs and behavior counseling in older adult populations

Physical activity offers one of the greatest opportunities for people to extend years of active independent life and reduce functional limitations. The purpose of this paper is to identify key practices for pr...

Authors: M. E. Cress, D. M. Buchner, T. Prohaska, J. Rimmer, M. Brown, C. Macera, L. DePietro and W. Chodzko-Zajko

Regular physical exercise in patients with type II diabetes mellitus

It is widely accepted that regular physical exercise helps diabetic patients control blood glucose, reduce cardiovascular risk factors, and prevent other related complications. In spite of the undoubted benefi...

Authors: C. Nakhanakhup, P. Moungmee, H. J. Appell and J. A. Duarte

Clinical gait and stepping performance measures in older adults

Problems with ambulation and mobility are frequent problems in older adults. Each year, about one in 100 older adults develops new severe mobility disability. Assessment of abnormal gait constitutes a major co...

Authors: N. B. Alexander and A. Goldberg

Disability and physical activity in late life—research models and approaches

Prevention of disability in late life has become a major public health concern, a key area of ageing research, and also an important target for the development of effective interventions. The increase in life ...

Authors: E. Heikkinen

Biomechanical aspects of dynamic stability

Walking is a fundamental motor skill that significantly affects the level of independence in older adults. The amount of variability present in a walking pattern reflects the quality of neuromuscular control. ...

Authors: G. Meyer and M. Ayalon

Editorial (EURAPA 2006-1)

Authors: Heinz Mechling