Isokinetic arm and leg strength of adults with Down syndrome: a comparative study

This study compared isokinetic arm (elbow flexion and extension) and leg (knee flexion and extension) strength of individuals with Down syndrome (DS), with mental retardation without DS (NDS), and sedentary young adults with no mental retardation (NMR). Eighteen individuals with DS, NDS, and NMR (11 men and seven women in each group) performed strength tests on a Cybex 340 isokinetic dynamometer. Parameters measured were peak torque (ft/lb), peak torque percent body weight (%BW), average power (watts), and average power %BW. Subjects with mental retardation (ie, DS and NDS groups) performed the test on two separate days with best test results chosen for statistical comparisons. The NMR group performed the test once. In all isokinetic strength parameters measured for arm strength, the NMR group demonstrated significantly higher scores than subjects with DS and NDS. Subjects with DS and NDS displayed similar test results. Similarly, for all the isokinetic strength parameters measured for leg strength, NMR demonstrated significantly higher scores than subjects with DS and NDS. Subjects with NDS, however, averaged significantly higher test results than subjects with DS for leg strength. The results of this study indicate that both subject populations who were mentally retarded exhibited lower arm and leg strength than the NMR subjects. Additionally, subjects with DS demonstrated inferior leg strength when compared to their peers with NDS.