Influence of gender, age and BMI on lower limb muscular power output in a large population of @entity28 @entity1 and XXXX .

@entity1 @entity353 @entity1386 @entity28
OBJECTIVE: To depict the general trends of muscle anaerobic performance in @entity28 subjects within a wide range of age and body weight. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study for the measurement of lower limb maximal anaerobic power output with a modification of the Margaria stair climbing test in a large population of @entity28 subjects of both genders within a wide span of age (18-80 y) and body mass index (BMI, 30-68 kg m(-2)). Furthermore, body composition was also determined by bioimpedance analysis in a representative subgroup, in order to evaluate the relationships between @entity1386 ( @entity1386 ) and power output. SUBJECTS: A total of 1298 @entity28 subjects (486 males, 812 females) from an Italian population seeking medical support for body @entity353 . Within this sample, a consistent subgroup of 193 subjects (59 males, 134 females) was also selected for accessory study of body composition. RESULTS: In general, male subjects developed significantly higher lower limb power output (W) than female subjects (P<0.001-0.01), both in absolute terms and per unit body mass. In both genders, W was influenced negatively by age (P<0.001) and positively by BMI (P<0.001). While the effect of age was similar in both genders, BMI had a different positive effect in male and in female subjects, being more definite in male subjects. In the subgroup, @entity1386 was found to depend both on age and BMI, in a fashion comparable with that displayed by W. The gender-related differences in W disappeared when expressed per unit @entity1386 and a significant linear correlation was found between @entity1386 and W, both in male and female subjects (R2=0.32-0.51, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The lower limb maximal power output is significantly higher in @entity28 male subjects than in female subjects, being negatively influenced by age but positively related to BMI. Female subjects appear to be at a greater disadvantage for effect of @entity28 , the major motor limitations being suffered by older @entity1 with higher BMI. These gender differences in age- and BMI-dependent W changes seem to be related to changes in @entity1386 in the subgroup in whom body composition was studied.
