# Hip Muscle Power, Lateral Balance Function, and Falls in Aging

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE · 2021 · $556,834

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
 Falls and their consequences are among the major problems in the medical care of older individuals.
The long-term goal of this research is to a mechanistically derived therapeutic intervention to enhance muscle
power, weight-shifting capability, and lateral balance to prevent falls. When human balance is challenged,
protective stepping is a vital strategy for preventing a fall during activities of daily life. Many older people at risk
for falls have particular difficulties with successfully stepping sideways as a protective response to loss of
balance in the lateral direction. We propose that age-related declines in lateral balance function through
impaired weight transfer and protective stepping linked with falls, result from neuromuscular and biomechanical
limitations in hip abductor-adductor (AB-AD) muscle power generation. Moreover, we hypothesize that these
functional and neuromotor impairments can be improved with high velocity muscle resistance power training.
The specigic aims are: Aim 1. To determine the age-associated changes in neuromuscular and biomechanical
performance of the hip joint AB-AD musculature by evaluating the isolated maximum torque and power
production and neuromuscular activation patterns. Aim 2. To determine the aging changes in neuromotor
performance of the hip AB-AD musculature during the pre-step weight transfer phase of waist-pull induced side
stepping and voluntary reaction time stepping. Aim 3. To establish a first line of evidence showing that
hypothesized aging deficits in sidestepping caused by neuromotor impairments in hip AB-AD muscle power
production may be reversible, we will determine the effects of velocity dependent muscle resistance power
training (3 x/week x 10 weeks) compared with strength training on neuromuscular, biomechanical, and
functional performance outcomes. Overall, the studies will identify age-related neuromotor mechanisms of
abnormal hip AB-AD muscle power production that impair lateral weight transfer, balance stability, and mobility
function. Establishing a first line of support for the superiority of velocity dependent power training over
strength training on muscle performance and protective balance and functional mobility outcomes, will lead to a
future comparative intervention trial to enhance these functions and prevent falls in older adults.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10248413
- **Project number:** 5R01AG060051-04
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE
- **Principal Investigator:** Vicki L. Gray
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $556,834
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-09-15 → 2023-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10248413

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10248413, Hip Muscle Power, Lateral Balance Function, and Falls in Aging (5R01AG060051-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10248413. Licensed CC0.

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