Relationships of muscle strength and power with leisure‐time physical activity and adolescent exercise in middle‐aged and elderly Japanese women

Aim:  The purpose of the present study is to assess the relationships of muscle strength and power with recent leisure-time physical activity and exercise during adolescence in middle-aged and elderly Japanese women. Methods:  The subjects consisted of 1128 community-dwelling women aged 40–79 years. They were interviewed about their physical activity habits during leisure time in the past 12 months and exercise they engaged in during adolescence. Muscle function was measured as grip strength, knee extension strength and leg extension power. Subjects were grouped into three intensity levels for leisure-time physical activity and as to whether or not they engaged in adolescent exercise. The relationships of muscle strength and power with leisure-time physical activity and adolescent exercise were assessed using analysis of covariance controlled for age, smoking status, annual income and education level. Results:  The proportion of subjects that participated in leisure-time physical activity was 67.1% (light, 33.7%; moderate or heavy, 33.4%). The subjects that engaged in adolescent exercise represented 41.9% of the total. There was a significant relationship between leisure-time physical activity and adolescent exercise. In the analysis of covariance controlled for age, smoking status, annual income and education level, leisure-time physical activity and adolescent exercise had significant main effects on all muscle strength and power measurements. However, there was no interaction effect between leisure-time physical activity and adolescent exercise. Conclusion:  The results suggest that current leisure-time physical activity and adolescent exercise benefit muscle function in middle-aged and elderly women.