Brittani Philpott

Kinesiology 358
September14, 2009
Isokinetic Testing: Factors Affecting Muscle Force Production
1a.

1b.
The joint angle affects the muscle length and the angle of pull. There is an optimal
joint angle that allows for the best combination of both muscle length and angle of pull,
leading to the greatest force. The optimal joint angle, however, varies between different
muscle groups in different individuals and also between the same joint in others.
Both muscle length and angle of pull are responsible and both of these factors
vary among individuals. An optimal combination of both muscle length and angle of pull
may lead to optimal force. When the sarcomere is at an optimal length, this is the best
time for the myosin cross bridges to interact with the actin filaments. When the sarcomere
lengthens or shortens, the chance for the actin and myosin to interact with each other
decreases.
2a.

.
2b. 30/s for both hamstrings and quadriceps.
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2c.
When the muscle is contracting faster, it is unable to produce as much force. This
may be because when the velocity is faster, the filaments slide past each other faster, and
the number of cross bridges that attach decreases. When the velocity is slower, the cross
bridges have more time to attach, allowing them to generate more force.
2d. Training and fiber type both influence the force-velocity curve. People with a higher
percentage of fast twitch fibers are able to produce more force than people with fewer
fast twitch fibers.
It is possible to alter the Force-Velocity curve, but only by training. With training,
the force-velocity curve tends to shift upward. This is because when the muscle is trained
and has more power, less force is needed to lift the same amount of weight.
2e. At 180/s, the force produced by the quadriceps were 20.6 Nm and the force of the
hamstrings were 19.1 Nm. His hamstrings should be near 60-80%, but they were lower in
this experiment.
3a.

3b.
The power velocity curve shows that there is an increase in power output with an
increase in velocity. Power is the product of force and velocity, making it very important
for muscle performance. Muscles with more than 50% of fast twitch fibers produce more
power than muscles with less than 50% of fast twitch fibers.

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4a.

4b. Fatigue index (% torque for both quadriceps and hamstrings)

FI % = (Torque contractions 1-3) - (Torque contractions 48-50) / Torque contractions 1-3 x 100
Extension (quadriceps): 161.3 76.3 x 100 = 52.7%
161.3
Flexion (hamstrings): 90.7 27.3 x 100 = 70.0%
90.7
4c.
%FT = (FI x 0.9) + 5.2
Quads. (52.7 x 0.9) + 5.2 = 52.63%FT
Hams. (70.0 x 0.9) + 5.2 = 68.20%FT

%ST = 100 - %FT

100 53.63 = 47.37%ST
100 68.20 = 31.80%ST

4d.
The fatigue index depends on the amount of torque in the first 3 contractions and
the last 3 contractions during a 50 contraction test. According to Thorstensoon and
Karlsson (1976), people with a higher percent of fast-twitch fibers produce more torque
doing knee extensions at a moderate speed. However, these people are more susceptible
to fatigability compared with people who have more slow-twitch fibers.
Although people cannot change the type of fibers their muscles are mostly
composed of, they can change their fibers through training. With training, a person will
be able to increase his or her peak torque and the amount of contractions he or she can
maintain at this point.
5. Body weight in kg = 72.7
Compared with Table 1, the subject seems to be comparable to an athletic college
male.
In Table 2, the subject falls in as a weight lifter according to his quadriceps fiber
type, and a sprinter/jumper based off his hamstring fiber type.

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References
Wilmore, J., Costill, D., Kenney, W. Physiology of Sport and Exercise. Champaign, IL:
Human Kinetics, 2008.
King, D. Structure and Function of Muscle/Powerpoint, Kinesiology 358. Iowa State
University.
Isokinetic Testing: Factors Affecting Muscle Force Production/Lab hand-out. Kinesiology
358 Lab. Iowa State University.

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