Assessment of the level of muscular strength and volume in physically active English adults

Abstract

The aim of this study is to describe the muscular volume and strength of different body segments from a sample of 19 English male participants, with a mean age of 43.84 (±11.62). An isometric dynamometer (Standard type S) has been used for the strength measurements, as well as an isokinetic device (Cibex Norm, Ronkonkama, New York, U.S.A.) and a M.R.I scanner (Esaote G-Scan biomedical, Milan, Italy) for measuring the muscular volume. The Baecke Questionnaire (1982) helped to determine the participants habitual level of physical activity. The results reveal an inverse relationship between age and isometric strength of the biceps muscle (r=-0.518; p<0.05). In addition, there exists a correlation between the handgrip of the right hand and the left hand (r=0.788; p<0.001); torque of the knee extensor muscles and the ankle extensor muscles (r=0.712; p<0.01); time of torque of the knee flexor and extensor muscles (r=0.773; p<0.001) volume of the biceps and triceps muscles (r=0.849; p<0.001), as well as several correlations between the different volumes of the quadriceps muscles. As a conclusion, age has a negative influence on the production of isometric strength of the biceps muscle, but not of the knee extensor muscles. As expected, the antagonistic muscle groups actuating around the knee, i.e. the extensor and flexor groups seem to be adapted to each other in terms of volume, strength and rate of force development.