Evelien Van Roie

At a glance

• Researcher and lecturer at the Department of Movement Sciences, KU Leuven.
• Focuses on muscle power: not just how strong you are, but how fast you can produce force — the quality that declines fastest with age and decides whether you get up easily or catch yourself when you trip.
• Showed in a randomised trial that stair climbing is as effective as machine-based resistance training for improving muscle power in older adults.
• Develops and validates simple tests, such as the sit-to-stand test and velocity-based strength estimates, so muscle function can be tracked outside the lab.
• Compared six field tests of physical function across the adult lifespan, and reviewed how muscle-strengthening exercise can be promoted in real-life settings.
• Relevant if you want to age without losing strength: her work turns sports science into doable exercise at home and in the neighbourhood.