The Research Center, Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, University of Belgrade, Serbia, USA.
J Strength Cond Res. 2011 Jun;25(6):1605-15. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181ddfd0a.
Although regularly used, the standard strength test (SST) is known to have several shortcomings, such as being based only on sustained maximum forces, and on a relatively large number of trials that expose the tested muscle to rapid fatigue. The purpose of this study was to evaluate alternating consecutive maximum contractions (ACMCs) as a test of the muscle function through its comparison with SST. Twenty-four participants performed both the externally paced isometric ACMC (i.e., series of consecutive maximum force exertions in 2 directions) and SST of the knee extensor and flexor muscle. The derived variables of both tests included the knee extensor and flexor peak forces (PFs) and their maximum rates of development. Movement speed and muscle power output were also assessed through standard maximum performance tests. Both ACMC and SST revealed on average high intratrial (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] > 0.80) and moderate-to-high test-retest reliability (ICC > 0.60), and significant (p < 0.05) positive relationships among the PFs and their rates of development of the tested muscles. The variables of both tests also suggested on average moderate correlations with the maximum performance tests. Finally, ACMC variables revealed relatively stable values across a wide range of frequencies including the 'self-selected' one. Although some properties of ACMC could be similar to SST, the important comparative advantages of ACMC could be relatively low and transitional maximum forces exerted, and fewer trials needed for testing 2 antagonistic muscles. Although further research is needed, particularly concerning the external validity and generalizability, we conclude that the ACMC represents a test of muscle function that could be applied either as an alternative or complementary test to SST.
虽然标准强度测试（SST）经常被使用，但它已知存在几个缺点，例如仅基于持续的最大力，以及需要进行相对较多的试验，以使被测肌肉快速疲劳。本研究的目的是通过将交替连续最大收缩（ACMC）与 SST 进行比较，评估其作为肌肉功能测试的效果。24 名参与者分别进行了外部节拍的等长 ACMC（即连续进行 2 个方向的最大力收缩）和膝关节伸肌和屈肌的 SST。两种测试的派生变量包括膝关节伸肌和屈肌的峰值力（PF）及其最大发展速度。还通过标准最大性能测试评估了运动速度和肌肉功率输出。ACMC 和 SST 平均显示出高的室内相关性（组内相关系数 [ICC] > 0.80）和中至高的测试-再测试可靠性（ICC > 0.60），并且在测试肌肉的 PF 和其发展速度之间存在显著的正相关（p < 0.05）。两种测试的变量还平均与最大性能测试具有中度相关性。最后，ACMC 变量在包括“自我选择”的较宽频率范围内显示出相对稳定的值。尽管 ACMC 的某些特性可能与 SST 相似，但 ACMC 的重要比较优势可能是施加的相对较低和过渡性最大力，以及测试 2 个拮抗肌所需的试验次数较少。尽管需要进一步研究，特别是关于外部有效性和普遍性，但我们得出结论，ACMC 代表一种肌肉功能测试，可以作为 SST 的替代或补充测试。
