The Biomechanics Laboratory in the kinesiology department is recruiting volunteers for a study about the effects of age and exercise on walking and muscle function. The researchers hope to learn about how changes in muscle function with age are related to the onset of disability.
The lab is looking for individuals who meet the following criteria: ages 55-70 with healthy body weight who participate in fewer than five 30-minute bouts of exercise per week (or less than a total of 150 minutes of planned exercise per week), no history of reconstructive surgery of the legs, no major health issues (heart disease, diabetes, neurological disease), able to walk for 30 minutes and no contraindications to MRI (metal implant, claustrophobia).
The study consists of two visits: a 1-hour visit to an MRI facility in Amherst and one 3-hour visit to the Biomechanics Lab on campus. During the lab visit researchers will collect data on how participants’ joints move as they walk over the ground and on a treadmill. The study will also collect data on the strength of the muscles in participants’ thighs. All procedures are non-invasive.
Source: UMass
