This study examined the effect of the duration of intertrial rest periods on isometric grip strength scores in successive trials with the use of the power grip attachment of the Baltimore Therapeutic Equipment work simulator. Male and female subjects, 19 to 41 years of age, were randomly assigned to one of three groups, categorized by 15-, 30-, or 60-sec rest periods between five consecutive isometric grip tests. No significant differences were found between the groups in the pattern of decline in torque across trials. However, the group with the longest intertrial rest period had a significantly smaller percentage of decline in torque from the first to the last trial and the highest intraclass correlation coefficient between the five trials for both hands. In addition, the same group of subjects demonstrated significantly smaller differences in torque from the first to the second pretrial, which had a 2-min rest period, than from the first to the second experimental trial, which had shorter intertrial rest periods of 15, 30, or 60 sec.
AstrandP. O.RodahlK. (1987). Textbook of work physiology: Physiological bases of exercise (3rd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
2.
Baltimore Therapeutic Equipment Company (1986). Operations manual for the Baltimore Therapeutic Equipment Company work simulator. Baltimore: Author.
3.
BaumgartnerT. A.JacksonA. S. (1987). Measurement for evaluation in physical education (3rd ed.) [prepublication copy]. Dubuque, IA: William C. Brown.
4.
BechtolC. (1954). Grip test: The use of a dynamometer with handle spacings. Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, 36-A, 820–832.
5.
BelangerA. Y.McComasA. J. (1981). Extent of motor unit activation during effort. Journal of Applied Physiology, Respiratory, Environmental and Exercise Physiology, 51, 1131–1135.
6.
BellemareF.WoodsJ. J.JohanssonR.Bigland-RitchieB. (1983). Motor unit discharge rates in maximal voluntary contraction of three human muscles. Journal of Neurophysiology, 50, 1380–1392.
7.
BerlinS.VermetteJ. (1985). An exploratory study of work simulator norms for grip and wrist flexion. Vocational Evaluation and Work Adjustment, 18, 61–65.
8.
BohannonR. W. (1986). Test-retest reliability of hand-held dynamometry during a single session of strength assessment. Physical Therapy, 66, 206–209.
9.
BowieW.CummingG. R. (1971). Sustained handgrip reproducibility: Effects of hypoxia. Medicine and Science in Sports, 3, 24–31.
10.
ChaffinD. B.HerrinG. D.KeyserlingW. M.GargA. (1977). A method for evaluating biomechanical stresses resulting from manual materials handling jobs. American Industrial Hygiene Association Journal, 38, 662–675.
11.
ClarkeH. H. (1966). Muscular strength and endurance in man. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
12.
CurrierD. P. (1984). Elements of research in physical therapy (2nd ed.). Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins.
13.
CurtisR. M.ClarkG. L.SnyderR. (1984). The work simulator. In HunterJ. M.SchneiderL. H.MackinE. J.CallahanA. D. (Eds.), Rehabilitation of the hand (2nd ed.) (pp. 905–908). St. Louis: C. V. Mosby.
14.
DeLateurB. (1982). Therapeutic exercise to develop strength and endurance. In KottkeF. (Ed.), Krusen's handbook of physical medicine and rehabilitation (pp. 427–464). Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders.
15.
diPramperoP. E.MargariaR. (1968). Relationship between O2 consumption, high energy phosphates and the kinetics of the O2 debt in exercise. Pflugers Archives, 304, 11–19.
16.
FikeM. L.RousseauE. (1982). Measurement of adult hand strength: A comparison of two instruments. Occupational Therapy Journal of Research, 2, 43–49.
17.
FleissJ. L. (1986). The design and analysis of clinical experiments. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
18.
GilchristM.CoulthardJ.ZemkeR. (1985, January). Relationship between the Jamar dynamometer and the BTE work simulator. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Hand Therapists, Las Vegas.
19.
HarrisR. C.EdwardsR. H. T.HultmanE.NordesjoL. O.NylindB.SahlinK. (1976). The time course of phosphorlcreatine resynthesis during recovery of the quadriceps muscle in man. Pflugers Archives, 367, 137–142.
20.
HowellD. C. (1982). Statistical methods for psychology. Boston: Duxberry Press.
21.
JacksonA.WatkinsM.PattonR. W. (1980). A factor analysis of twelve selected maximal isotonic strength performances on the Universal gym. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 12, 274–277.
22.
JohanssonC. A.KentB. E.ShepardK. F. (1983). Relationship between verbal command volume and magnitude of muscle contraction. Physical Therapy, 63, 1260–1265.
23.
KellorM.FrostJ.SilberbergN.IversonI.CummingsR. (1971). Hand strength and dexterity norms for clinical use. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 25, 77–83.
24.
KollerW.KaseS. (1986). Muscle strength testing in Parkinson's disease. European Neurology, 25, 130–133.
25.
KrollW. (1962). A note on the coefficient of intraclass correlation as an estimate of reliability. Research Quarterly, 33, 313–316.
26.
MargariaR.CerretelliP.diPramperoP. E.MassariC.TorelliG. (1963). Kinetics and mechanism of oxygen debt contraction in man. Journal of Applied Physiology, 18, 371–377.
27.
MathewsD. K.FoxE. L. (1976). The physiological basis of physical education and athletics (2nd ed.) (pp. 35–36). Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders.
28.
MathiowetzV.WeberK.VollandG.KashmanN. (1984). Reliability and validity of grip and pinch evaluations. Journal of Hand Surgery, 9-A, 222–226.
29.
OhtsukiT. (1981). Decrease in grip strength induced by simultaneous bilateral exertion with reference to finger strength. Ergonomics, 24, 37–48.
30.
PetrofskyJ. S.WilliamsC.KamenG.LindA. R. (1980). The effect of handgrip span on isometric exercise performance. Ergonomics, 23, 1129–1135.
31.
ReddonJ. R.StefanykW. O.GillD. M.KenneyC. (1985). Hand dynamometer: Effects of trials and sessions. Perceptual Motor Skills, 61, 1195–1198.
32.
SahlinK. (1986). Metabolic changes limiting muscle performance. In SaltinB. (Ed.), Biochemistry of exercise VI (pp. 323–343). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
33.
SaleD. G. (1986). Neural adaptation in strength and power training. In JonesN. L.McCartneyN.McComasA. J. (Eds.), Human muscle power (pp. 289–305). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
34.
SaleD. G. (1987). Influence of exercise and training on motor unit activation. Exercise and Sports Science Reviews, 15, 95–151.
35.
SchmidtR. T.ToewsJ. V. (1970). Grip strength as measured by the Jamar dynamometer. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 51, 321–327.
36.
SheehanN. J.SheldonF.MarksD. (1983). Grip strength and torquometry in the assessment of hand function in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. British Journal of Rheumatology, 22, 158–164.
37.
SmithR. O.BengeM. W. (1985). Pinch and grasp strength: Standardization of terminology and protocol. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 39, 531–535.
38.
StullG. A.ClarkeD. H. (1971). Patterns of recovery following isometric and isotonic strength development. Medicine and Science in Sports, 3, 135–139.
39.
TeraokaT. (1979). Studies on the peculiarity of grip strength in relation to body positions and aging. Kobe Journal of Medical Science, 25, 1–17.
40.
TeschP. A. (1980). Muscle fatigue in man with special reference to lactate accumulation during short term intense exercise. Acta Physiologica Scandinavica (Suppl. 480), 1–40.
41.
TeschP. A.WrightJ. E. (1983). Recovery from short term intense exercise: Its relation to capillary supply and blood lactate concentration. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 52, 98–103.
42.
ThorngrenK. G.WernerC. O. (1979). Normal grip strength. Acta Orthopedica Scandinavica, 50, 255–279.
43.
ThorstenssonA. (1976). Muscle strength, fiber types and enzyme activity in man. Acta Physiologica Scandinavica (Suppl. 433), 1–45.
