Purpose: This cross-sectional descriptive study sought to determine the influence of ankle power on balance performance. Method: Twenty healthy older adults (≥ 70 years; 11 men, 9 women; mean SD age of 76.6 5.5 years) with no prior debilitating injuries, neurological disorders, or respiratory diseases participated. Ambulatory balance was assessed using the Community Balance and Mobility Scale (CB p = 0.04) and between ankle plantarflexor power and unilateral perturbation intensity (ρ = 0.486; p = 0.03). Conclusion: Maintaining ankle plantarflexion power during the aging process may be critical in maintenance of functional performance in older adults.
Arsenault et al. (Fri,) studied this question.