A multiple muscle strength testing protocol

A quick test (QT) protocol was developed to allow for the rapid testing of multiple muscle groups in order to profile body strength. Maximum muscle strength was also obtained using a standard test (ST) protocol. The ST protocol consisted of three five-second trials with a one-minute rest between trials and no more than four muscle groups tested per day. The QT protocol allowed only a five-second rest between trials. Thirteen subjects were evaluated using both protocols. Subjects were positioned either sitting or supine, depending on the muscle groups being evaluated. Stabilization was provided to minimize substitution patterns. Measurements were obtained using a load cell and a computerized recording system. Using the QT protocol and testing 13 muscle groups in one session vs five sessions with the ST protocol resulted in an average reduction of 4% in strength values for the QT protocol. The results suggest that the clinical use of the QT protocol may not significantly reduce the accuracy of repeated measurements even though values obtained may be slightly lower than those obtained using the ST protocol.