Prediction of Isokinetic Leg Strength From Anthropometric Dimensions in Male College Athletes

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Ghena, David^{a; *; **} | Mayhew, J.L.^{a; ***} | Kurth, Amy^{a; ****} | Thompson, Clinton B.^{a; *****}

Affiliations: [a] Northeast Missouri State University and Western Wisconsin Sports Medicine

Note: [*] Senior physical therapy student, University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse, LaCrosse, WI, and as an Athletic Trainer/Research Assistant, Western Wisconsin Sports Medicine, LaCrosse, WI.

Note: [**] Address reprint requests to David Ghena at Western Wisconsin Sports Medicine, Suite 001, La Crosse, WI 45601.

Note: [***] Associate Professor, Health and Exercise Science Department, Director, Human Performance Laboratory, Northeast Missouri State University, and Consultant, Department of Physiology, Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, kirksville, MO.

Note: [****] Staff Physical Therapist/Athletic Trainer, Providence-St. Margaret Health Center, Kansas City, KS.

Note: [*****] Head Athletic Trainer/Associate Professor, Northeast Missouri State University, and Consultant Sports Medicine Clinic, Kirksville Osteopathic Medical Center, Kirksville, MO.

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine the accuracy of predicting isokinetic knee extension and flexion peak torques from anthropometric dimensions. Male college athletes (N = 105) were evaluated for concentric isokinetic knee extension and flexion torques at 60, 120, 300, and 450 deg/sec using a Biodex dynamometer. Anthropometric dimensions included height, body mass, lean body mass (LBM), percent fat, age, and other various measured and derived leg indices. Multiple regression analysis on a validity sample (n = 80) selected midthigh cross-sectional area (CSA), height, and LBM to predict knee extension torques at 60, 120, 300, and 450 deg/sec (R = .70–.80); at 300 deg/sec, body mass replaced LBM in the prediction equation (R = .79). Muscle (SA was the only variable common to all prediction equations to estimate knee flexion torque at all speeds, although the multiple correlations remained comparable (R = .55–.80). The prediction equations were cross-validated on a sample of 25 randomly selected subjects from the original group and produced correlation coefficients of r = .51–.76 for estimating concentric isokinetic knee torques. It was concluded that anthropometric dimensions can be used to estimate isokinetic leg strength levels in male collegiate athletes and provide additional information for the preparticipation physical screening. These findings may be useful in the prevention of athletic injuries to the lower extremities.

Keywords: Anthropometric measures, torque ratio, predictive equations

DOI: 10.3233/IES-1991-1403

Journal: Isokinetics and Exercise Science, vol. 1, no. 4, pp. 187-192, 1991