Rate of Force Development in the Handgripping Muscles by Females as a Function of Fatigue Level

Abstract

Twenty-eight young, adult women were tested for maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) of the grip flexors and were then given five fatigue trials in which the task was to maintain a maximum isometric contraction until the strength level had been degraded to either 80%, 60%, or 40% MVC. At that time, the subject relaxed and within one second was commanded to generate a single contraction as rapidly and forcefully as possible. Testing was also conducted in the nonfatigued state (1.00 MVC). Forces were determined at 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512, and 1,024 msec following the initial deflection of the pen from the baseline. Normalized force values were calculated by dividing the force expressed at the various time intervals by the maximum force generated under that condition at 1,024 msec. For both absolute and normalized rate of force development, the highest rate was attained between 32–64 msec. During that time period, the rate of absolute force development was reduced 10% at the 80% MVC level, 30% at 60% MVC, and 53% at 40% MVC. There was a definite pattern of depressed rate of absolute force development up to 256 msec at the higher fatigue levels. For normalized force, fatiguing a muscle to 80% MVC had no effect except at 64 msec where a greater percentage of maximal force was attained than at 1.00 MVC. Beyond that level of fatigue, however, normalized force tended to be adversely affected as fatigue progressed. The time required to develop either 50% or 70% of maximal force was significantly longer for the 40% MVC level than for the remaining conditions. In addition, the time necessary to develop 70% of maximal force was longer for the 60% MVC fatigue level than for the 80% MVC level.