外刊双语阅读精选：单腿站立平衡测试生理年龄

摘要：The study, published in PLOS, says that how long you can sustain this ‘unipedal stance test’ indicates the speed at which your neu

Simple balance test could reveal your biological age

简单的平衡测试可以揭示你的生理年龄

Standing on one leg is more than just an awkward yoga pose

单腿站立不仅仅是一个笨拙的瑜伽姿势

Balancing on one leg may sound easy, but new research says that any wobbling or near-falls could indicate your body is ageing faster than you might have hoped.

单腿平衡听起来很容易，但新的研究表明，任何摇晃或险些跌倒都可能表明你的身体衰老得比你期望的要快。

The study, published in PLOS, says that how long you can sustain this ‘unipedal stance test’ indicates the speed at which your neuromuscular sensory system is declining. This system is a collection of nerves that connects your muscles to your brain and spinal cord, allowing your muscles to move when needed. When it declines, your movements and responses become slower.

这项发表在PLOS上的研究表明，你在“单脚站立测试”中能维持的时间长短，表明你的神经肌肉感觉系统正在衰减的速度。这个系统是一组神经，将你的肌肉与到大脑和脊髓相连，让你的肌肉在需要时能运动。它衰减了，你的动作和反应会变慢。

Balancing for 30 seconds doesn’t take too much muscle strength, but requires adequate neuromuscular control. As age increases, however, both of these decline, causing more swaying and a shorter balancing time.

30秒的平衡不需要太多的肌肉力量，但需要足够的神经肌肉控制能力。然而，随着年龄的增长，这两者都会衰退，导致（单脚站立时）摇摆次数更多和平衡时间更短。

The researchers from the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, in the US, assessed the ability of 40 participants aged 50–80 to balance on one leg. Each person was asked to balance for 30 seconds four times: two attempts per leg, first with their eyes closed, then with them open.

来自美国明尼苏达州梅奥诊所的研究人员评估了40名年龄在50-80岁之间的参与者单腿平衡的能力。每个人被要求进行四次保持30秒的平衡：每条腿各两次，先是闭上眼睛站立，然后睁开眼睛站立。

This revealed that, for every additional 10 years of age, swaying tends to increase by 6.3 per cent if your eyes are open and 10.5 per cent if your eyes are closed. The study also found that how long the participants could balance for declined by 2.2 seconds per decade on their non-dominant leg and 1.7 seconds on their dominant leg.

该试验表明，每增加10岁，如果你睁着眼睛站立，摇摆倾向于增加6.3%，如果你闭上眼睛，摇摆趋向于增加10.5%。研究还发现，参与者在非优势腿上的平衡时间每十年减少2.2秒，在优势腿上减少1.7秒。

Studies have shown that balance exercises and aerobic activity, like swimming, running or cycling, can prevent this age-related decline.

研究表明，平衡运动和有氧运动，如游泳、跑步或骑自行车，可以防止这种与年龄相关的（平衡能力的）衰退。

“Attempts to prevent or slow the loss of muscle strength and balance in older age could mean the difference between remaining functionally independent and early admission to a nursing home,” said Prof David Proctor, an ageing and exercise expert at Pennsylvania State University, in the US, who was not involved in the study.

美国宾夕法尼亚州立大学的衰老和运动专家大卫·普罗克特教授没有参与这项研究，他说：“老年努力防止或减缓肌肉力量和平衡的丧失，可能意味着保持自理能力和早早入住养老院之间的区别。”。