This study, examined the effect of personal working rate and deviations from it, to performance efficiency and mechanical power, during continuous reversal upper limb motor tasks. The movement energetics were computed using a kinetic analysis approach. Results suggest a medium range of speeds under which human motor performance is maximized in terms of total mechanical efficiency and efficiency at selected points along the force-time measurements. The findings have important theoretical implications to models of motor control.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
BernsteinN., (1967) The coordination and regulation of movements. Oxford: Pendagon Press.
2.
CorlettE.N.MahadevaK. (1970) A relationship between a freely work pace and energy consumption curves. Ergonomics13, 517–524.
3.
CotesE.N.MeadeF. (1960) The energy expenditure and mechanical efficiency demand in walking. Ergonomics3, 97–119.
4.
HillA.V. (1922) The maximum work and mechanical efficiency of human skeletal muscles and their most economical speed. Journal of Physiology56, 19–41.
5.
LloydB.BZacksR.M. (1972) The mechanical efficiency of treadmill running against a horizontal impeding force. Journal of Physiology223, 355–363.
6.
MillerD.I.NelsonD.C. (1978) Biomechanics of Sports: a research approach. Lea & Febiger, Philadelphia, PA.
7.
SalvendyG. (1974) Physiological and psychological aspects of paced performance. Acta Physiological Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae42, 267–.
8.
SchmidtR.A (1982) Motor Control and learning. A behavioral approach. Human Kinetics Publishers, Champaing Illinois.
9.
SmollF.LSchultzR.W (1982) Relationships among measures of preferred tempo and motor rhythm. Perceptual and motor skills46, 883–894.
10.
SparrowW.A (1983) The efficiency of skilled performance. Journal of Motor behavior, 15, 237–261.
11.
TurveyM.T (1977) Preliminaries to a theory of action with reference to vision. In ShawR.BransfordJ. (Eds). Perceiving, acting and knowing. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
12.
ZarrughM.T.ToddF.NRalstonH.J (1974) Optimization of energy expenditure during walking. European Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology33, 293–306.
