Sdr. Harridge et Mj. White, A COMPARISON OF VOLUNTARY AND ELECTRICALLY EVOKED ISOKINETIC PLANTAR FLEXOR TORQUE IN MALES, European journal of applied physiology and occupational physiology, 66(4), 1993, pp. 343-348
The angle-specific isokinetic torque- and power-velocity relationships
of the triceps surae were examined in ten male sprint athletes aged [
mean (SD)] 22.4 (3.2) years, ten non-trained adult men aged 27.4 (4.8)
years and six elderly male subjects aged 68.5 (2.4) years. Normal vol
untary contractions were compared with those obtained using maximal te
tanic stimulation and a release technique which standardised the level
of muscle activation during isokinetic contractions. When the isokine
tic data was normalized to the maximum isometric torque the stimulated
release contractions at 5.18-5.29 rad.s-1 produced significantly (P<0
.05) greater torque than the voluntary no-release contractions at the
same angular velocity in each group of subjects. The three subject gro
ups generated their peak power at 3.07 rad.s-1 during the voluntary no
-release contractions. However, with the stimulated release contractio
ns, power had still not reached a peak at 5.29 rad.s-1, the highest an
gular velocity that could be tested. It appears that at higher angular
velocities the triceps surae is capable of greater torque and power g
eneration when contractions are evoked using a stimulated release tech
nique. It is suggested that the stimulated release technique gives a m
ore complete picture of the torque-velocity characteristics of the con
tractile component of the triceps surae.