ABSTRACT
Strength testing has proven to be a useful tool in ergonomics for assessing physical capacity as well as in clinical applications for monitoring progress in rehabilitation and for determining the degree of disability subsequent to injury. An operating assumption of such tests is that subjects will give maximal efforts when asked to do so. However, it is a common impression of many clinicians that when testing strength following an injury many subjects may not give maximal efforts. The validity of the peak forces or torques measured in such circumstances is compromised by this frequently unmet assumption of maximal effort. Thus, an effective strength testing protocol must not only determine a subject’s strength characteristics but must also detect when submaximal effort affects such measurements.
