Assessment of Muscle Strength and Prediction of Lifting Capacity in U.S. Army Personnel
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine muscular strength tests which would be appropriate for Army occupational selection and predictive of job lifting and lifting-carrying tasks. A maximum lift to 132 cm, dead lift to knuckle height and a short term self-paced maximal lift-and-carry were utilized as criterion tasks. Isometric strength measures evaluated as predictors included: handgrip, knee extension, trunk extension, upper torso arm-shoulder pull down, standing upward pull at 38 cm and 132 cm height. Dynamic strength of the trunk extensors were also measured with an isokinetic dynamometer. Studies employed both male and female soldiers. Initial analysis selected six isometric strength measures plus lean body mass as potential predictors of the best criterion variable, maximum lift capacity to 132 cm (MSLC). Males and females formed separate populations (non-coincidence) in these measures so that gender could be represented by a numerical designator as a constituent variable in a single predictive equation. Handgrip, 38cm upright pull and upper torso pull down gave similar predictive power. Ridge regression techniques were utilized to compensate for multicollinearity effects among these predictors.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 05, 1984
- Accession Number
- ADA148846
Entities
People
- Dan S. Sharp
- James A. Vogel
- James E. Wright
- John F. Patton
Organizations
- United States Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine