Decay of force transients following active stretch is slower in older than young men: 1support for a structural mechanism contributing to residual force enhancement in old age 234Geoffrey A. Power 1 , Walter Herzog 1 , Charles L. Rice 2,3 56781 Faculty of Kinesiology, Human Performance Laboratory, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, 9Canada 10112 Canadian Centre for Activity and Aging, School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, The 12University of Western Ontario, Canada 13143 Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The University of Western Ontario, Canada 151617181920Short Communication 212223242526Running Title: Decay of force transients following stretch in old age 2728Word Count: 1992/2000 29Keywords: aging, muscle, eccentric, residual force enhancement, stiffness 3031323334Correspondence: Geoffrey A Power PhD. 35Human Performance Laboratory 36University of Calgary 37Faculty of Kinesiology 382500 University Drive NW 39Calgary, AB, Canada T2N 1N4 40E-mail: gapower@ucalgary.ca 41Telephone: 403-220-4639 42