Rate of force development: physiological and methodological considerations

The evaluation of rate of force development during rapid contractions has recently become quite popular for characterising explosive strength of athletes, elderly individuals and patients. The main aims of this narrative review are to describe the neuromuscular determinants of rate of force developm...

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Published inEuropean Journal of Applied Physiology Vol. 116; no. 6; pp. 1091 - 1116
Main Authors Maffiuletti, Nicola A., Aagaard, Per, Blazevich, Anthony J., Folland, Jonathan, Tillin, Neale, Duchateau, Jacques
Format Journal Article Book Review
LanguageEnglish
Published Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.06.2016
Springer Nature B.V
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Summary:The evaluation of rate of force development during rapid contractions has recently become quite popular for characterising explosive strength of athletes, elderly individuals and patients. The main aims of this narrative review are to describe the neuromuscular determinants of rate of force development and to discuss various methodological considerations inherent to its evaluation for research and clinical purposes. Rate of force development (1) seems to be mainly determined by the capacity to produce maximal voluntary activation in the early phase of an explosive contraction (first 50–75 ms), particularly as a result of increased motor unit discharge rate; (2) can be improved by both explosive-type and heavy-resistance strength training in different subject populations, mainly through an improvement in rapid muscle activation; (3) is quite difficult to evaluate in a valid and reliable way. Therefore, we provide evidence-based practical recommendations for rational quantification of rate of force development in both laboratory and clinical settings.
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Communicated by Nigel A. S. Taylor.
ISSN:1439-6319
1439-6327
DOI:10.1007/s00421-016-3346-6