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Reference values for isometric muscle force among workers for the Netherlands: a comparison of reference values
Rob Kw Douma1, Remko Soer, Wim P Krijnen
1Research and Innovation Group in Health Care and Nursing, Hanze University of Applied Sciences, Eysoniusplein 18 9714 CE, Groningen, The Netherlands. k.w.douma@pl.hanze.nl.
BMC Sports Science, Medicine & Rehabilitation
|February 27, 2014
Summary
Handheld dynamometers reliably measure muscle force. New reference values for Dutch workers show significant differences compared to US populations, highlighting the need for country-specific data.
Area of Science:
- Biomechanics
- Kinesiology
- Physical Therapy
Background:
- Muscle force is crucial for daily activities and athletic performance.
- Handheld dynamometers are commonly used for muscle force assessment.
- Generalizability of existing muscle force reference values across different populations remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To validate the reliability of handheld dynamometers for isometric muscle strength measurement.
- To establish reference values for muscle force in a Dutch working population.
- To compare these Dutch reference values with existing data from a US population.
Main Methods:
- Inclusion of 462 healthy Dutch workers (259 males, 203 females) aged 20-60 years.
- Measurement of isometric muscle force (elbow, knee, shoulder) using the MicroFet 2 handheld dynamometer and the break method.
- Analysis of reliability using Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICC) and Bland-Altman plots; determination of reference values and regression equations.
Main Results:
- High reliability for handheld dynamometer measurements (ICC 0.83-0.94).
- Established regression equations with explained variance ranging from 0.25 to 0.51.
- Significant differences observed in mean muscle force reference values between the Dutch and US populations.
Conclusions:
- Isometric muscle force measurements using handheld dynamometers are reliable.
- Provides validated reference values and regression equations for the Dutch working population.
- Highlights inter-country variations in muscle force reference values, emphasizing the need for population-specific data.
