The relationship between maximum isometric strength and intramuscular circulatory occlusion

Abstract

The relationship between maximum isometric strength and the isometric tension necessary to produce total occlusion of intramuscular circulation was studied in 20 male college students. Subjects performed a series of progressively increasing static contractions by squeezing a hand dynamometer and the subsequent blood flow responses were measured. Blood flow was occluded at a mean of 63.5% maximum handgrip strength for the total group tested. To determine whether individuals of different maximum strength occlude at different percentages of their MVC [maximum voluntary contraction], subjects were divided into high and low strength groups. The high strength group occluded at 51.5% of MVC while the low strength group occluded at 75.5% of MVC. A significant negative correlation (r = -0.58) was found between maximum isometric strength and the per cent of maximum strength necessary to produce intramuscular occlusion. There was no significant difference between the absolute tension producing occlusion in the high strength group (34.8 kg) and that of the low strength group (34.3 kg).