Affiliations: Department of Human Movement and Training Science, Institute for Human Movement Science, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Stefanie Manzer, Department of Human Movement and Training Science, Institute for Human Movement Science, University of Hamburg, Mollerstraße 2, 20148 Hamburg, Germany. Tel.: +49 40 42838 5681; Fax: +49 40 42838 6268; E-mail: stefanie.manzer@uni-hamburg.de
Abstract:
BACKGROUND: Fatigue due to running or local muscle exhaustion is a
causative factor for running injuries. Standardized local muscle fatigue can
be produced and assessed with isokinetic devices. OBJECTIVE: To examine the absolute and relative reproducibility of
local muscle fatigue of the ankle dorsiflexors (DF) and plantar flexors
(PF). METHODS: Using a test-retest design, 29 male runners (height:
181.4 ± 4.7 cm, mass: 79.4 ± 9.3 kg, age: 26.6 ± 4.3 years)
were twice assessed, isometrically and isokinetically, at 60°/s.
Reproducibility was determined by an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and the Bland-Altmann method. RESULTS: For the isometric test, the ICC values ranged from
0.90-0.99, whereas for the isokinetic fatigue protocol and index, they
ranged from 0.87-0.97 and 0.76-0.96, respectively. Absolute
reproducibility of the PM in the isometric test was 3.1% and 6.4%, for
the DF and PF, respectively. The mean of the PM in the isokinetic fatigue
protocol was 6.2% and 10.7% and in the fatigue index 12.3% and
21.8%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Using the protocol and instrument described in this
paper, local muscle fatigue of the ankle DF and PF may be reproducibly
measured.
