Isometric Midthigh Pull Reliability and Relationship to Deadlift One Repetition Maximum

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Biomechanics
• Strength and Conditioning

Background:

• Assessing maximal strength is crucial in sports performance and training.
• Traditional one-repetition maximum (1RM) testing, like the deadlift, can be time-consuming and carries a risk of injury.
• Exploring reliable and safe alternatives for maximal strength assessment is an ongoing area of research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the test-retest reliability of the isometric midthigh pull (IMTP).
• To investigate the relationship between IMTP peak force and the deadlift one-repetition maximum (1RM).
• To determine if IMTP can serve as a practical measure of maximal strength.

Main Methods:

• Nine participants (40.6 ± 8.0 years) completed two testing sessions.
• Isometric midthigh pull (IMTP) peak force and peak rate of force development (RFD) were measured.
• Deadlift 1RM was assessed, and correlations between IMTP and deadlift 1RM were analyzed using Pearson product-moment correlations and linear regression.

Main Results:

• IMTP peak force demonstrated high reliability, with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) of 0.98 and 0.97 within sessions and 0.89 between sessions.
• A significant strong positive correlation (r = 0.88, p ≤ 0.05) was found between IMTP peak force and deadlift 1RM.
• Intermediate force outputs and RFD did not show significant correlations with deadlift 1RM.

Conclusions:

• Peak force during the IMTP is a highly reliable measure of maximal strength.
• IMTP peak force is a strong predictor of deadlift 1RM, suggesting its utility for estimating maximal strength.
• The IMTP offers a potentially quicker and less provocative method for assessing maximal strength compared to traditional 1RM testing.