Week 9: Muscular Fitness

Question 1

Muscular Strength

Answer 1

The largest force that a muscle or group of muscles can generate during a single contraction.
-Ex. Lifting groceries

Question 1

3 components of muscular fitness

Answer 1

1. Muscular strength
2. Muscular endurance
3. Muscular power

Question 2

Muscular endurance

Answer 2

The muscle’s ability to continue performing successive exertions or repetitions against a submaximal load.
-Climbing stairs
-Carrying groceries from the car to our fridge

Question 3

Muscular Power

Answer 3

The muscle’s ability to exert force per unit of time (i.e., rate). Muscle power output is a product of the force and the velocity of muscle shortening.
-Functional independence

Question 4

Low Muscular Strength indications

Answer 4

1. Low muscular strength is recognized as a marker of cardiometabolic risk and is
   associated with morbidity in young and older adults
2. Low hand grip strength is associated with:
   -Sarcopenia
   -Functional limitations and disabilities
3. Decreased lower extremity strength is associated with:
   -Ability to perform ADLs
   -Risk of hospitalization

Question 5

Musculoskeletal Fitness as Predictor of All-Cause Mortality

Answer 5

-Higher levels of handgrip strength associated with a 30% lower risk of all-
cause mortality in men, 40% lower risk in women
-Higher levels of lower body strength (knee extension) associated with a 14% lower risk of all-cause mortality

Question 6

Why do we assess muscular fitness?

Answer 6

-Provide information about our baseline physical fitness
-Identify weaknesses in certain muscle groups
-Serve as a basis for designing individualized exercise training programs.
-To monitor progress and improvements over time

Question 7

Assessing Muscular Strength and Endurance

Answer 7

-No single assessment evaluates total-body muscular strength or endurance. Musculoskeletal fitness testing is specific to:
⁃ the muscle groups tested
⁃ the velocity of the movement
⁃ the type of contraction
⁃ the ROM used
⁃ the type of equipment used to perform the assessment

Before beginning your assessments:
-Familiarize the client with the test procedure.
-Familiarize the client with the equipment.
-Warm-up:
⁃ 5–10 min of light-intensity aerobic exercise (i.e., treadmill or bike)
⁃ dynamic stretching
⁃ several light-intensity repetitions of the specific testing exercise

Question 8

Principles of Muscular Fitness Testing (8)

Answer 8

1. Informed consent
2. Ensure general demographics have been collected (see lab worksheet)
3. An aerobic warm-up (5-10 minutes)
4. Equipment familiarization
5. Education/cueing on optimal posture/positioning for each test
6. Consistent repetition duration (movement speed) when appropriate
7. Full range of motion (ROM) should be used/achieved
8. Use of spotters (when necessary)

Question 9

1-Repetition Maximum (1RM)

Answer 9

The 1RM test is considered the standard when evaluating dynamic muscular
strength.
-requires the client to exert maximal force dynamically through a ROM in a
controlled manner with the proper technique

Question 10

Sources of Error

Answer 10

1. Client Factors
   -Control for the effects of learning on performance
   -Encourage clients to achieve their maximal effort
   -Allow for adequate rest between trials
2. Equipment
   -Equipment needs to be calibrated regularly
3. Technician Skill
   -Correct any performance errors you see
4. Environmental Factors
   -Room temperature and humidity
   -Distractions
   -Pre and post-test should be at the same time of day

Question 11

Tests in Lab (6)

Answer 11

Objective measurements:
1. Grip strength
2. Predicted 1RM – knee extension
3. Push-up test (endurance)
4. Plank test (endurance)
5. Squat endurance tests
6. Vertical jump (static and countermovement) *power