Analysis of the aging-induced changes in the motor ability structure using large population fitness test results

Owing to confounding factors influencing the effect of aging, systematic analyses of age-related changes in motor ability are mostly limited to the use of animals whose diets and genetics can be controlled or the use of datasets of athletes who share similar lifestyles. However, we lack systematic methods for analyzing the effect of aging on the motor ability structure of the general public. We propose that principal component analysis (PCA) on fitness test results of a large sample may provide information on the aging-induced change in the motor ability structure of the general public. We complied the fitness test records of 7402 Koreans between the ages of 20 and 64, and performed PCA on the records of gripping, 50m dash, sit-ups, and shuttle runs, which indicate strength, speed, muscular endurance, and aerobic endurance, respectively. Our analysis shows the structural changes in motor ability around the age of 40 and 60 in Korea. We expect that the proposed approach can be applied to similar datasets from other countries or local communities to quantify any age-induced change in motor ability structure in each specific group.