Mature female golfers to take part in Health Sciences research
A team of physiotherapists and MSc students at the University of Southampton is seeking local volunteers to take part in a project aiming to study the effects of an active lifestyle on our muscles and ability to perform everyday activities.
In the first instance the team is studying active females who play golf at least once a week, and are aged between 65 and 80 years, who will take part in a series of tests at the University.
The tests are painless and safe, and involve recording muscle strength using new quick, simple tests of assessing muscles and the ability to carry out functional activities. These tests include measuring thigh muscle thickness using ultrasound, hand grip, walking up stairs, and balancing. Testing involves one visit to Health Sciences for up to 90 minutes.
The Southampton team has already studied people of different ages who are not very active and now aims to gather information on people who are more active.
Professor of Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation at the University, Maria Stokes, said: “This research is important because if an active person has an injury or develops a condition that is common with ageing, such as osteoarthritis or a neurological condition, we need to aim treatment towards their preferred activities, rather than aim for the same goals as less active people.
“In this project, we specifically want to test women aged 65-80 years who play golf regularly, to develop a database relevant to their age and activity level. We’re hoping for a great response from those who are interested in contributing to improving future management of people to help them stay active for as long as possible.”
Those interested in taking part can email M.Bush@Southampton.ac.uk or phone Dr Dinesh Samuel: 023 8059 8925. Potential participants will be given more information before they decide whether or not to take part.