The influence of age and surface compliance on changes in postural control and attention due to ankle neuromuscular fatigue

The reduction in the quality and integration of sensory information with aging could increase the alterations in postural control associated with muscle fatigue observed in younger adults. This study aimed to compare changes in postural control and attentional demands due to ankle muscle fatigue, with intact and reduced proprioceptive information at the ankle, between young and older adults. Eleven young (24 ± 4 years) and 13 older (65 ± 4 years) men stood quietly on a force platform (blindfolded) under four experimental conditions (combinations of firm (FS)/compliant (CS) surfaces and single/dual tasks), before and immediately after a fatiguing exercise. The fatiguing exercise, performed on a dynamometer, consisted of maintaining an isometric contraction of the plantarflexors at 50 % of maximum until exhaustion. Both COP sway area and COP sway velocity were greater on the CS compared to FS and increased with fatigue for both groups in all conditions. COP sway area showed a greater increase with fatigue in older adults when standing on the CS. Reaction time (secondary task) increased significantly after fatigue, but only for older adults when standing on the CS. The effects of fatigue on postural control are more important when proprioceptive information at the ankle is altered. In particular, older adults had more difficulty and may have needed more attention to stand quietly, compared with young adults.