Temperature and Force-velocity Relationship of Human Muscles

The force-velocity relationship of maximal contractions with the handgrip muscles is established in a group of subjects. The effect of different muscle temperatures is studied. The parameters vo (maximal velocity), Fo (maximal force), Pmax (maximal power), a/Fo and H (both parameters describing the shape of the curve), and Ft/Fo (the value of the force at which power is maximal) are established. It is shown that 1) in repeated measurements the coefficient of variation in general is less than 10% for all the parameters except a/Fo; 2) the parameter a/Fo should be discarded in comparative measurements since it is not linearly related to the course of the curve. A parameter called H should be used instead to describe the curvature; 3) an increase in muscle temperature is accompanied by an increase in magnitude of all parameters except Fo. The temperature effect expressed as Q10 in the range 22-38 degrees C is in the order of 1.2.