How old are you, really? This test can tell you your biological age in 30 seconds
Can you stand the test?Researchers from the Mayo Clinic have unlocked an easy, equipment-free way to determine biological age.The team says the amount of time you are able to balance on one leg is a critical indicator of nerve, bone and muscle strength.
In the study, 40 healthy participants over 50 (half under 65, and half over) underwent walking and balance tests and exercises that tested their grip and knee strength.The study excluded obese individuals and those with pre-existing conditions that would affect their balance or stride. Dr.
Kenton Kaufman, Ph.D., senior author of the study and director of the Motion Analysis Laboratory at Mayo Clinic, says, “Balance is an important measure because, in addition to muscle strength, it requires input from vision, the vestibular system, and the somatosensory systems.”For the balance tests, which lasted 30 seconds each, subjects stood on force plates that measured how much energy they exerted onto the ground.Participants were asked to perform different stances: two feet on the ground with eyes open, two feet on the ground with eyes closed, standing on one leg using their non-dominant leg with eyes open, and on their dominant leg with eyes open.
Results showed that standing on one leg, notably the nondominant leg, showed the highest rate of decline with age.With the nondominant leg, and with each passing decade, the amount of time an individual could stand decreased by 2.2 seconds.
For the dominant leg, that time declined by 1.7 seconds per decade. Researchers noted that muscle mass decreases up to 8% per decade after the age of 30, a rate that increases from 60 on.Study authors hope this low-tech test will encourage people to test bone strength independently and adjust accordingly.
The team said, “This finding is significant because this measurement does not require specialized expertise, advanced tools, or techniques for measurement and interpretation.It can be easily performed, even by individuals themse...