RSS-Feed abonnieren
DOI: 10.1055/s-2008-1038886
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York
Tests of Muscle Power Output: The Role of Body Size
Publikationsverlauf
accepted after revision June 30, 2008
Publikationsdatum:
11. September 2008 (online)
![](https://www.thieme-connect.de/media/sportsmed/200902/lookinside/thumbnails/10.1055-s-2008-1038886-1.jpg)
Abstract
The effect of body size on the output of the tests of directly assessed muscle power has been mainly ignored in the applied research. We hypothesized that the muscle power output would reveal a positive relationship with body size closely in line with the theoretical predictions, as well as that the strength of the studied relationship could justify standardized normalization procedures applied in routine testing. Male physical education students (n = 111) were evaluated in 10 standard tests of direct assessment of muscle power output. A standard allometric relationship P = a Sb was applied to assess the relationship between the tested power output P and selected indices of body size S (b = allometric exponent; a = parameter). The correlation coefficients obtained between the tested power output and body size ranged within 0.21 – 0.56 for body mass and 0.10 – 0.49 for body height. The mean (SD) values of the allometric exponents b obtained with respect to body mass and body height were 0.55 (0.15) and 1.15 (0.62), respectively. This relationship proved to be strong enough to merit applying a standard normalization. The normalization method should be based on body mass as a preferred index of body size, while the allometric exponent could correspond to the theoretically predicted one (i.e., b = 0.67).
Key words
scaling - allometric - normalization - body mass - body height
References
- 1 Aasa U, Jaric S, Barnekow-Bergkvist M, Johansson H. Muscle strength assessment from functional performance tests: role of body size. J Strength Cond Res. 2003; 17 664-670
- 2 Abernethy P, Wilson G, Logan P. Strength and power assessment. Issues, controversies and challenges. Sports Med. 1995; 19 401-417
- 3 Astrand P-O, Rodahl K. Textbook of work physiology. New York; McGraw-Hill 1986
- 4 Batterham A M, George K P. Allometric modeling does not determine a dimensionless power function ratio for maximal muscular function. J Appl Physiol. 1997; 83 2158-2166
- 5 Bosco C, Luhtanen P, Komi P V. A simple method for measurement of mechanical power in jumping. Eur J Appl Physiol. 1983; 50 273-282
-
6 Bouchard C, Taylor A W, Simoneau J A, Dulac S.
Testing anaerobic power and capacity. MacDoughall DJ, Wenger HA, Green HJ, eds. Physiological testing of the high-performance athlete. Canadian association of sport sciences. Champaign, IL; Human Kinetics 1991: 175-221 - 7 Davies M J, Dalsky G P. Normalizing strength for body size differences in older adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1997; 29 713-717
- 8 Folland J P, McCauley T M, Williams A G. Allometric scaling of strength measurements to body size. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2008; 102 739-745
- 9 Hill A V. The dimensions of animals and their muscular dynamics. Sci Prog. 1950; 38 209-230
- 10 Jackson A S, Pollock M L, Gettman L R. Intertester reliability of selected skinfold and circumference measurements and percent fat estimates. Res Q. 1978; 49 546-551
- 11 Jaric S, Mirkov D, Markovic G. Normalizing physical performance tests for body size: a proposal for standardization. J Strength Cond Res. 2005; 19 467-474
- 12 Jaric S, Radosavljevic-Jaric S, Johansson H. Muscle force and muscle torque in humans require different methods when adjusting for differences in body size. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2002; 87 304-307
- 13 Jaric S, Ugarkovic D, Kukolj M. Evaluation of methods for normalizing muscle strength in elite and young athletes. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2002; 42 141-151
- 14 Jaric S. Muscle strength testing: use of normalization for body size. Review. Sports Med. 2002; 32 615-631
- 15 Jaric S. Role of body size in the relation between muscle strength and movement performance. Exerc Sport Sci Rev. 2003; 31 8-12
- 16 Jensen J L, Phillips S J. Variations on the vertical jump: individual adaptations to changing task demands. J Mot Behav. 1991; 23 63-74
- 17 Margaria R, Aghemo P, Rovelli E. Measurement of muscular power (anaerobic) in man. J Appl Physiol. 1966; 21 1662-1664
- 18 Markovic G, Jaric S. Is vertical jump height a body size independent measure of muscle power?. J Sports Sci. 2007; 25 1355-1363
- 19 Markovic G, Jaric S. Movement performance and body size: the relationship for different groups of tests. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2004; 92 139-149
- 20 Markovic G, Jaric S. Scaling of muscle power to body size: the effect of stretch-shortening cycle. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2005; 95 11-19
- 21 McArdle W D, Katch F I, Katch V L. Sports and exercise nutrition. Baltimore; Lippincott Williams & Wilkins 1999
- 22 McMahon T A. Muscles, reflexes, and locomotion. Princeton; Princeton University Press 1984
- 23 Mirkov D M, Nedeljkovic A, Milanovic S, Jaric S. Muscle strength testing: evaluation of tests of explosive force production. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2004; 91 147-154
- 24 Nedeljkovic A, Mirkov D M, Pazin N, Jaric S. Evaluation of Margaria staircase test: the effect of body size. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2007; 100 115-120
- 25 Nevill A, Rowland T, Goff D, Martel L, Ferrone L. Scaling or normalising maximum oxygen uptake to predict 1-mile run time in boys. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2004; 92 285-288
- 26 Nevill A M, Brown D, Godfrey R, Johanson P, Romer L, Stewart A D, Winter E M. Modeling maximum oxygen uptake of elite endurance athletes. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2003; 35 488-494
- 27 Nevill A M, Holder R. Modeling maximum oxygen uptake – a case study in non-linear regression model formulation and comparison. J R Stat Soc Ser C. 1994; 43 653-666
- 28 Nevill A M, Markovic G, Vucetic V, Holder R L. Can greater muscularity in larger individuals resolve the 3/4 power-law controversy when modelling maximum oxygen uptake?. Ann Hum Biol. 2004; 31 436-445
- 29 Nevill A M, Ramsbottom R, Williams C. Scaling physiological measurements for individuals of different body size. Eur J Appl Physiol. 1992; 65 110-117
- 30 Nevill A M, Stewart A D, Olds T, Holder R. Are adult physiques geometrically similar? The dangers of allometric scaling using body mass power laws. Am J Phys Anthrop. 2004; 124 177-182
- 31 Newton R U, Murphy A J, Humphries B J, Wilson G J, Kraemer W J, Hakkinen K. Influence of load and stretch shortening cycle on the kinematics, kinetics and muscle activation that occurs during explosive upper-body movements. Eur J Appl Physiol. 1997; 75 333-342
-
32 Norton K, Marfell-Jones M, Whittingham N, Kerr D, Carter L, Saddington K, Gore C.
Anthropometric assessment protocols. Gore CJ, ed. Physiological tests for elite athletes. Australian Sports Commission. Champaign, IL; Human Kinetics 2000: 66-85 - 33 Riechman S E, Zoeller R F, Balasekaran G, Goss F L, Robertson R J. Prediction of 2000 m indoor rowing performance using a 30 s sprint and maximal oxygen uptake. J Sports Sci. 2002; 20 681-687
-
34 Siri W E.
The gross composition of the body. Lawrence J, Tobias C, eds. Advances in biological and medical physics. London; Academic 1956 - 35 Stone M H, O'Bryant H S, McCoy L, Coglianese R, Lehmkuhl M, Schilling B. Power and maximum strength relationships during performance of dynamic and static weighted jumps. J Strength Cond Res. 2003; 17 140-147
- 36 Vanderburgh P M, Dooman C. Considering body mass differences, who are the world's strongest women?. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2000; 32 197-201
- 37 Vanderburgh P M, Mahar M T, Chou C H. Allometric scaling of grip strength by body mass in college-age men and women. Res Q Exerc Sport. 1995; 66 80-84
- 38 Vanderburgh P M. Correction factors for body mass bias in military physical fitness tests. Mil Med. 2007; 172 738-742
- 39 Vandewalle H, Peres G, Heller J, Panel J, Monod H. Force-velocity relationship and maximal power on a cycle ergometer. Correlation with the height of a vertical jump. Eur J Appl Physiol. 1987; 56 650-656
- 40 Vandewalle H, Peres G, Monod H. Standard anaerobic exercise tests. Sports Med. 1987; 4 268-289
- 41 West G B, Brown J H, Enquist B J. The fourth dimension of life: fractal geometry and allometric scaling of organisms. Science. 1999; 284 1677-1679
- 42 Wilmore J H. Body composition in sport and exercise: directions for future research. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1983; 15 21-31
- 43 Wilson G J, Murphy A J, Giorgi A. Weight and plyometric training: effects on eccentric and concentric force production. Can J Appl Physiol. 1996; 21 301-315
- 44 Zoeller R F, Ryan E D, Gordish-Dressman H, Price T B, Seip R L, Angelopoulos T J, Moyna N M, Gordon P M, Thompson P D, Hoffman E P. Allometric scaling of biceps strength before and after resistance training in men. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2007; 39 1013-1019
Dr. Slobodan Jaric
University of Delaware
Health, Nutrition, and Exercise Sciences
541 S. College Ave.
Newark, Delaware 19716
United States
Telefon: + 1 30 28 31 61 74
Fax: + 1 30 28 31 36 93
eMail: jaric@udel.edu