Assessment of Human Motor Power for Health
2-3 July 2026
Lisbon, Portugal
Please note that the abstract submission deadline has been extended to 16th of May, 2026.
2-3 July 2026
Lisbon, Portugal
Please note that the abstract submission deadline has been extended to 16th of May, 2026.
Welcome to the Powerpeople Conference 2026, which will take place in Lisbon, Portugal, on July 2nd and 3rd of
2026.
Aiming to promote human health and prevent age-related decline, several markers have been proposed over the past
four decades, such as sarcopenia (i.e., originally referring to the loss of muscle mass) and dynapenia (i.e., a concept focusing
primarily on maximal muscle strength). However, considering the growing body of evidence showing that human motor power capacity
is reduced at a greater rate with age than either sarcopenia or dynapenia and is also more strongly associated with overall
functionality and health outcomes than other muscle parameters, the concept of powerpenia was introduced in 2024,
anticipating that it may serve as a sensitive marker of age-related decline. Powerpenia reflects not only the loss of motor power
with age, but also with that associated with disease and physical inactivity.
In 2024, the first international seminar on powerpenia was held at the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, in Porto Alegre, Brazil, bringing together more than 500 registered participants from 22 countries. Now, in 2026, evolving from a seminar format to a conference, a new event is planned to take place in Lisbon highlighting aspects of assessment of human motor power for health.
Participants
Countries
The event will be held over two days and will feature 3 keynote lectures, 10 oral presentations, 1 round table discussion, and a session dedicated to short (3-minute) oral poster presentations, from which three will be selected for extended presentations (15 minutes), culminating in anaward-winning abstract. The event will also include social opportunities for interaction among participants and event sponsors.
This conference will explore topics across three thematic axes:
All researchers and professionals interested in this topic are invited to participate and to submit their work. We look forward to welcoming you to an event dedicated to extensive knowledge sharing.
Sandro R. Freitas Organizing committee chair
Keynote Lectures
Oral Presentations
Round Discussion
E-poster session
The Faculty of Human Kinetics of the University of Lisbon (FMH) is a pioneer higher education institution focused on high academic achievement since 1940. It dedicates to the study of the human body and movement, and its multiple relations in health, education, sport, arts, productive, and society contexts.
FMH offers a large variety of academic programs to choose from, combining technical expertise with innovation, development of projects and research, and, thus, functioning as an education and health public promoter.
As a top Higher Education institution, focused on research and innovation challenges, both for students and researchers, FMH’s strategic plan embraces the promotion of more opportunities for national and international researchers to interact while working on their most distinguished areas, carrying out their expertise and thus building a new path of excellence for FMH.
FMH has also a strong bond with the community, by developing innovative programs, namely those involving older adults viewing the promotion of active ageing.
For further information, please visit: www.fmh.ulisboa.ptThe Conference will take place at Hotel Sana Malhoa Hotel, Lisbon.
The Hotel is located in the centre of the city in one of the business areas of Lisbon. It is well served with nearby transports (metro, buses, and taxis), and is about 7 km from Lisbon International Airport.
On July 1st, a completely free pre-conference event will take place at the Faculty of Human Kinetics (main hall) of the University of Lisbon, offering opportunities to visit the laboratories of the Faculty, attend lectures with speakers and Conference sponsors, and participate in a roundtable discussion with professional representatives from the health and exercise sectors.
If you prefer, you can download the programme schedule Programme
Abstracts will be published in the conference eBook of Abstracts, which will be indexed by Frontiers in Aging (Q1).
You are welcome to submit an abstract on the topic of the conference, i.e. assessment of human motor power for health.
When submitting you should select:
Abstracts MUST be submitted until May 16, 23:59 CET:
ABSTRACTS SUBMISSION IS CLOSED
Although the central theme of the Powerpenia Conference 2026 is "Powerpenia," this concept is directly associated with other related concepts; therefore, it is possible to submit abstracts addressing the concepts of sarcopenia and dynapenia, making the necessary connections to powerpenia. So, if this applies to you, please don't hesitate to showcase your work and to contribute to the discussion!
Please follow the instructions below when submitting an abstract:
All accepted abstracts will be published in the eBook of Abstracts of the Powerpenia Conference 2026, preconditioned the first author has paid the registration fee by 15th of May 2026 – abstracts without a paid registration fee until this deadline will be irrevocably removed.
In case the first author is unable to attend, a registered co-author is permitted to present the research on his/her behalf.
For an Abstract Formatting Example, please click HERE .
Abstracts MUST be submitted using the following form LINK until May 16, 23:59 CET.
Any queries should be sent to powerpenia@fmh.ulisboa.pt
Application of Load–Velocity Profiling for Assessment and Autoregulated Training of Leg Press Power
by Landon Evans and Crystal Johnson (Keiser)
This workshop presents movement velocity as an objective method to both assess and prescribe lower-limb power using pneumatic resistance. Participants will examine how load velocity profiling on the Keiser leg press can establish individual baselines, estimate maximal strength from submaximal efforts, and detect asymmetries or performance deficits. The session then demonstrates how real-time velocity feedback enables autoregulated training, allowing load and volume to adjust to an individual's current neuromuscular capacity. Together, these approaches create a closed-loop framework in which testing directly informs prescription, improving safety, precision, and targeting of power development.
Muscle Power Training for Better Aging: Clinical Applications and Real-World Practice
by Pedro Correia (The Strength Clinic)
Muscle power declines earlier and more rapidly than muscle strength, emerging as a critical yet underrecognized determinant of frailty, falls, impaired physical function, and loss of independence across the lifespan. As interest in "Powerpenia" continues to grow, the ability to assess and effectively train muscle power is becoming increasingly relevant for clinicians and exercise professionals.
This workshop will present practical, evidence-based methodologies for developing muscle power in both healthy and clinical populations, using strategies with and without equipment. Through real-world case studies from The Strength Clinic, participants will explore assessment frameworks, exercise selection, programming variables, progression models, and clinical adaptations across different functional capacities and health conditions.
Designed to bridge the gap between research and practice, this session will provide attendees with immediately applicable tools to improve functional capacity, resilience, and long-term health outcomes.
1 The student registration fee is only available to full-time students. Please send University student enrolment certificate in English, including an expiration date for 2026 (or beyond). Other Certificates will not be accepted
2 The registration fees include for in-local Regular Participants and Students include:
3 Workshops are limited to 50 participants, who can only choose 1 workshop. Workshop 2 topic is still to be announced.
4 Participants with an abstract accepted may submit a video with a 3 minute’s presentation. The abstract will be included in the Abstracts Book, but will not be subject for the award for the three best works.
The video should respect the conference template (which will be sent directly to authors), videos will be uploaded to the conference online channel during the event.
5 Virtual participants will have access to online streaming + off line conference contents access during 7 days following the event at the conference @zoom account.
6 The registration fees include for virtual Participants include:
For any queries, kindly contact us via the email address:
powerpenia@fmh.ulisboa .pt