Maximum voluntary isometric strength of the knee extensor was measured using a belt resistance chair 25 assisted by a hand-held dynamometer (Microfet2™; Hoggan Health Industries, Draper, UT, USA).
The exercises were performed at a slow pace, with a loading threshold of 20 25% of maximum MVC (maximum voluntary contraction strength), duration of muscle tensing of 5 10 seconds, and 7 10 repetitions.
Ultrasonographic measurement of RF-CSA has an almost perfect correlation with MRI (mean interclass correlation (ICC) = 0.999) [ 2] and RF-CSA is linearly related to maximum voluntary contraction strength in both healthy subjects and COPD patients (r = 0.78) [ 3].
The test battery for the physical assessment will include resting blood pressure, height, weight, body composition, waist and hip girths, step test for dynamic balance [ 51], Timed Up and Go (TUG) Test for mobility [ 52], five timed chair stands [ 53] for lower limb strength and maximum voluntary hand grip strength.
Maximum voluntary isometric muscle strength (expressed in Newtons) of the shoulder abductors, hip flexors, ankle dorsal flexors, and grip strength was measured bilaterally.
The mean and std deviation of maximum voluntary static grip strength values (in N) for dominant and non-dominant hands respectively were 455.2 ± 73.6 and 441.5 ± 72.6 for males, and 258 ± 46.1 and 246.2 ± 49.1 for females.
This study investigated effects of plyometric training (6 weeks, 3 sessions/week) on maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) strength and neural activation of the knee extensors during isometric, concentric and eccentric contractions.
This involved both push strength (maximal voluntary isometric contraction of the shoulder flexors/adductors) and pull strength (maximum voluntary isometric contraction of the shoulder extensors/abductors). Results were recorded to the nearest 0.5 kg.
