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Analysis of force profile during a maximum voluntary isometric contraction task
Author(s) -
Househam Elizabeth,
McAuley John,
Charles Thompson,
Lightfoot Timothy,
Swash Michael
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
muscle and nerve
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.025
H-Index - 145
eISSN - 1097-4598
pISSN - 0148-639X
DOI - 10.1002/mus.10564
Subject(s) - isometric exercise , task force , physical medicine and rehabilitation , contraction (grammar) , medicine , physical therapy , political science , public administration
This study analyses maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) and its measurement by recording the force profile during maximal‐effort, 7‐s hand‐grip contractions. Six healthy subjects each performed three trials repeated at short intervals to study variation from fatigue. These three trials were performed during three separate sessions at daily intervals to look at random variation. A pattern of force development during a trial was identified. An initiation phase, with or without an initiation peak, was followed by a maintenance phase, sometimes with secondary pulses and an underlying decline in force. Of these three MVIC parameters, maximum force during the maintenance phase showed less random variability compared to intertrial fatigue variability than did maximum force during the initiation phase or absolute maximum force. Analysis of MVIC as a task, rather than a single, maximal value reveals deeper levels of motor control in its generation. Thus, force parameters other than the absolute maximum force may be better suited to quantification of muscle performance in health and disease. Muscle Nerve 29: 401–408, 2004