Lifecourse trajectory of muscle strength and the relationship with physical activity: exploiting the HALCyon and FALCon Cohort Consortia. (360G-Wellcome-099055_Z_12_Z)

Muscle strength is central to the current and future health of older people. There is increasing recognition that muscle strength in later life depends not only on the rate of decline but the peak reached earlier in life, but the trajectory of muscle strength across the lifecourse and its determinants have been little studied. As no one cohort has repeated measures of strength for the same individuals from childhood to old age, it is necessary to combine repeated measures from several cohorts in order to construct a lifecourse trajectory of muscle strength. Customary physical activity appears to be an important modifiable factor related to muscle strength but the optimal time in life for beneficial intervention is unclear. Understanding when increased customary physical activity could have maximal effect would have major relevance for potential public health interventions to improve health in old age. Aims 1. To describe a lifecourse grip strength trajectory from childhood to old a ge, by combining data from several UK cohorts 2. To compare the influence of physical activity on grip strength at different ages across the lifecourse 3. To explore the relationship between physical activity and subsequent grip strength trajectory