The Reliability of the Lateral Step Test

2007 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 131-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annabelle King ◽  
Mark Hancock ◽  
Joanne Munn

Context:Functional strength measures correlate more closely with functional performance than non-functional strength measures.Objectives:To determine the reliability of the lateral step test as a measure of maximal strength.Design:Intertester repeated measures.Setting:Research laboratory.Participants:Twenty four healthy, pain free subjects.Intervention:Two protocols (A and B) were evaluated. The protocols were identical except protocol B involved a three second pause. Participants performed a one repetition maximum (1RM) for each protocol on two occasions separated by one week.Main Outcome Measures:Step height (nearest cm) representingResults:Both protocols demonstrated excellent reliability, protocol A: ICC = 0.94 (95% CI, 0.87 to 0.97), SEM = 1.47 cm. Protocol B: ICC= 0.94 (95%CI, 0.85 to 0.97).Percent close agreement within 2 cm was 83.3% for protocol A and 79.1% for protocol B.Conclusion:Both protocols demonstrated excellent inter-tester reliability as measures of functional lower limb strength.

2003 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua M. Drouin ◽  
Peggy A. Houglum ◽  
David H. Perrin ◽  
Bruce M. Gansneder

Objective:To determine the relationship between weight-bearing (WB) and non-weight-bearing (NWB) joint reposition sense (JRS) and a functional hop test (FH) and to compare performance on these parameters between athletes and nonathletes.Design:Repeated-measures ANOVA and Pearson correlations.Setting:Research laboratory.Participants:40 men (age = 20.8 ± 1.7 y; ht = 176.9 ± 5.8 cm; wt = 82.6 ± 9.5 kg): 20 lacrosse players and 20 nonathletes.Main Outcome Measures:Ability to actively reproduce 30° of knee flexion in the WB and NWB conditions and functional performance on a single-leg crossover-hop test.Results:No significant correlations were observed between JRS and FH in athletes and nonathletes. No significant differences were observed between athletes and nonathletes in JRS. All participants were significantly more accurate at WB than at NWB JRS.Conclusions:There appears to be no relationship between WB or NWB JRS and functional performance, regardless of one’s physical activity level


Author(s):  
Chih-Min Wu ◽  
Mei-Hsien Lee ◽  
Wen-Yi Wang ◽  
Zong-Yan Cai

Inter-set peripheral cooling can improve high-intensity resistance exercise performance. However, whether foot cooling (FC) would increase 1 repetition maximum (RM) lower-limb strength is unclear. This study investigated the effect of intermittent FC on 1 RM leg press strength. Ten recreational male lifters performed three attempts of 1 RM leg press with FC or non-cooling (NC) in a repeated-measures crossover design separated by 5 days. FC was applied by foot immersion in 10 °C water for 2.5 min before each attempt. During the 1 RM test, various physiological measures were recorded. The results showed that FC elicited higher 1 RM leg press strength (Δ [95% CI]; Cohen’s d effect size [ES]; 13.6 [7.6–19.5] kg; ES = 1.631) and electromyography values in vastus lateralis (57.7 [8.1–107.4] μV; ES = 0.831) and gastrocnemius (15.1 [−3.1–33.2] μV; ES = 0.593) than in NC. Higher arousal levels (felt arousal scale) were found in FC (0.6 [0.1–1.2]; ES = 0.457) than in NC. In conclusion, the preliminary findings, although limited, suggest intermittent FC has a potential ergogenic role for recreational athletes to enhance maximal lower-limb strength and may partly benefit strength-based competition events.


2020 ◽  
Vol Volume 15 ◽  
pp. 1045-1056
Author(s):  
Andre Rodacki ◽  
Natalia Boneti Moreira ◽  
Arthur Pitta ◽  
Renata Wolf ◽  
Jarbas Melo Filho ◽  
...  

2009 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 316-326 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucinda E. Bouillon ◽  
Douglas K. Sklenka ◽  
Amy C. Driver

Context:Interval cycle training could positively influence dynamic balance in middle-aged women.Objective:To compare training effects of a strength ergometer and a standard ergometer on 3 dynamic balance tests.Design:Repeated measures.Setting:Laboratory.Participants:Seventeen women were randomly assigned to standard (n = 10) or strength cycle ergometry (n = 7). A control group consisted of 7 women.Intervention:Ergometry interval training (3 sessions/wk for 4 wk).Main Outcome Measures:Three balance tests—the Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT), timed up-and-go (TUG), and four-square step test (FSST)—were performed at pretraining and 4 wk posttraining.Results:Four SEBT directions improved and faster scores for FSST and TUG tests for the standard-cycle group were found, whereas the strength-cycle group only improved their TUG scores. No changes posttraining for the control group.Conclusions:Stationary cycle training should be included in the dynamic balance-rehabilitation protocol for middle-aged women.


2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 844-852 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire J. Brady ◽  
Andrew J. Harrison ◽  
Eamonn P. Flanagan ◽  
G. Gregory Haff ◽  
Thomas M. Comyns

Purpose: To examine the reliability and usefulness of the isometric midthigh pull (IMTP) and isometric squat (ISqT) performed at the same knee and hip angles. The scores produced in each test were compared to determine the magnitude of differences between tests. Methods: Twenty-six male and female athletes (age, 23.6 [4.3] y; height, 1.75 [0.07] m; and body mass, 68.8 [9.7] kg) performed 2 maximal repetitions of the IMTP and ISqT following a specific warm-up. Results: Maximum force, absolute peak force (PF), relative PF, allometrically scaled PF, rate of force development (0–200 and 0–250 ms), and impulse (0–300 ms) were deemed reliable (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] ≥.86 and coefficient of variation [CV] ≤9.4%) in the IMTP and ISqT based on predetermined criteria (ICC ≥.8 and CV ≤10%). Impulse (0–200 and 0–250 ms) was reliable in the ISqT (ICC ≥.92 and CV ≤9.9%). Participants produced significantly (P < .05) greater PF and impulse (0–300 ms) during the ISqT compared with the IMTP. When split by sex, female participants produced significantly greater PF (P = .042) during the ISqT, with no significant differences among male participants (P = .245). Both tests are capable of detecting changes in performance in maximum force and absolute PF. Conclusions: Both tests are reliable for non-time-dependent maximal strength measures when measured at the same knee and hip angles. The ISqT may be preferred when coaches want to test an athlete’s true maximum lower-limb strength, especially female athletes.


2006 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 299-311 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aimee E. Roth ◽  
Michael G. Miller ◽  
Marc Ricard ◽  
Donna Ritenour ◽  
Brenda L. Chapman

Context:It has been theorized that aquatic balance training differs from land balance training.Objective:To compare the effects of balance training in aquatic and land environments.Design:Between-groups, repeated-measures design.Setting:Biomechanics laboratory and pool.Participants:24 healthy subjects randomly assigned to aquatic (n = 8), land (n = 10), or control (n = 6) groups.Intervention:Four weeks of balance training.Main Outcome Measures:Balance was measured (pre, mid, post, follow-up). COP variables: radial area, y range, x range in single leg (SL), tandem (T), single leg foam (SLF), and tandem form (TF) stance.Results:A significant condition × time interaction for x range was found, with improvements for SL, SLF, and TF. Radial area improved, with post-test 1.01 ± .23 cm2and follow-up 1.06 ± .18 cm2significantly lower than pretest 1.18 ± .23 cm2. Y range significantly improved, with posttest (4.69 ± 1.02 cm2) lower than pretest (5.89 ± 1.26 cm2). The foam conditions (SLF & TF) were significantly different from non-foam conditions (SL & T) for all variables.Conclusions:Results of this study show that balance training can effectively be performed in both land and aquatic environments.


Author(s):  
Alice Martins Magalhães ◽  
Daniella Macedo Cerceau ◽  
Kênia Kiefer Parreiras de Menezes ◽  
Gabriela Vieira Oliveira ◽  
Bárbara Batista Gomes

Background: Sarcopenia is the involuntary loss of muscle mass predicted by aging and is associated with an increased likelihood ofunfavorable results, such as falls, mortality and functional disabilities. Objective: Evaluate balance, gait speed, lower limb strength andfunctionality in sarcopenic and non-sarcopenic elderly. Methods: Cross-sectional study, carried out with 68 subjects aged 60 years orover, residents of the community and possessing an independent gait. The assessment instruments were bioimpedance, balance test,four-meter gait speed test, chair support test and SPPB. Results: The prevalence of sarcopenia in the population of the present studywas 43.3%. In the group of non-sarcopenic subjects, a correlation was found between all the variables evaluated. In the group ofsarcopenic subjects, a correlation was found between lower limbs strength and gait speed. Conclusion: The skeletal muscle mass ofa sarcopenic elderly is related to their lower limb strength and gait speed, but it does not present a significant correlation with balanceand functional performance. Further studies are needed to clarify the behavior of balance, gait speed, lower limb strength and functionalperformance variables when compared to the decrease in muscle mass inherent in aging.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pallister I ◽  
Gregory Jack Handley ◽  
Sharon Maggs ◽  
Ann-Marie Davies ◽  
Amanda Kyle ◽  
...  

Abstract BACKGROUNDOpen lower limb fractures are serious, potentially life-changing injuriesrequiring combined ortho-plastic surgery and have significantly worse outcomes than similar closed fractures. There is little objective published data to determine which functional outcome measures best reflect progress or completeness of physical recovery.Our hypothesis was that objective measures combining strength, agility and balance would better reflect recovery than isolated parameters (e.g. range of motion) and would compare well to patients’ perceived recovery.METHODSAdultopen lower limb fracture patients were followed-up at 6 and 12 weeks, 6, 9 and 12 months post-injury. The mechanism,injurypattern, age, gender and treatment were recorded. Isolated parameter objective functional outcome measures (OFOMs)(range of movement and MRC strength grade) were compared to combined OFOMs(timed up and go (TUAG), comfortable and fast gait speed (CGS and FGS), Edgren Side Step Test(ESST) and Single Leg balance. Patient reported outcomes were recorded (Global Perceived Effect (GPE) scoreand Disability Rating Index (DRI)). RESULTS68 patients (54 male) with a medianage of 45 years (range 20-75). Neither range of movement,strength nor Single Leg balance consistently improved with time. TUAG, ESST, CGS, FGS and GPE scoresshowed consistent improvement, with TUAG and FGS showing highest proportion of improving results at each time-point. Patients’ estimation of recovery paralleled these measures with all but 2 patients achieving the minimum clinical important difference in DRI by 12 months compared to baseline. However, the GPE score compared favourably withthe DRI having a higher proportion of improving responses at each time-point. DISCUSSIONFunctional recovery is a key determinant in patients returning to work, providing for themselves and their family or resuming independent living for older patients. This study has demonstrated time-related improvements in combined OFOMs measuringmobility, strength, agility and balance paralleling patients’ perception of recovery in the 12 months after open lower limb fractures. Over the same time-frame, the simple GPE score compared favourably with the DRI. Such parameters could become part of a defined core outcomes set. Focussing rehabilitation towards these combined OFOMs may help hasten recovery.Trial registrationSouth West Wales REC 06/WMW02/10)


2003 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 143-161 ◽  
Author(s):  
John H. Hollman ◽  
Robert H. Deusinger ◽  
Linda R. Van Dillen ◽  
Dequan Zou ◽  
Scott D. Minor ◽  
...  

Context:Analyses of the path of instant center of rotation (PICR) can be used to infer joint-surface rolling and sliding motion (arthrokinematics). Previous PICR research has not quantified arthrokinematics during weight-bearing (WB) movement conditions or studied the association of muscle activity with arthrokinematics.Objective:To examine tibiofemoral arthrokinematics and thigh-muscle EMG during WB and non-weight-bearing (NWB) movement.Design:2 x 9 repeated-measures experiment.Setting:Laboratory.Participants:11 healthy adults (mean age 24 years).Main Outcome Measures:Tibiofemoral percentage rolling arthrokinematics and quadriceps: hamstring EMG activity.Results:WB percentage rolling (76.0% ± 4.7%) exceeded that of NWB (57.5% ± 1.8%) through terminal knee extension (F8,80= 8.99,P< .001). Quadriceps:hamstring EMG ratios accounted for 45.1% and 34.7% of the variance in arthrokinematics throughout the WB and NWB movement conditions, respectively (P< .001).Conclusions:More joint-surface rolling occurs through terminal knee extension during WB movement and is associated with an increase in hamstring activity.


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