Background: Experienced assessors show good intra-rater reproducibility (within-session and between-session agreement and reliability) when using an algometer to determine pressure pain thresholds (PPT). However, it is unknown whether novice assessors perform equally well. This study aimed to determine …

Background The plantar intrinsic foot muscles (PIFMs) have a role in dynamic functions, such as balance and propulsion, which are vital to walking. These muscles atrophy in older adults and therefore this population, which is at high risk to falling, may benefit from strengthening these muscles in order …

In wheelchair rugby (WR) athletes with tetraplegia, wheelchair performance may be impaired due to (partial) loss of innervation of upper extremity and trunk muscles, and low blood pressure (BP). The objective was to assess the effects of electrical stimulation (ES)-induced co-contraction of trunk muscles …

PURPOSE: It has been reported that there is no correlation between anterior tibia translation (ATT) in passive and dynamic situations. Passive ATT (ATTp) may be different to dynamic ATT (ATTd) due to muscle activation patterns. This study aimed to investigate whether muscle activation during jumping …

Background Strength testing of the serratus anterior muscle with hand held dynamometry (HDD) in supine subjects has low reproducibility, and is influenced by compensatory activity of other muscles like the pectoralis major and upper trapezius. Previously, two manual maximum voluntary isometric contraction …

Optimizing physical performance is a major goal in current physiology. However, basic understanding of combining high sprint and endurance performance is currently lacking. This study identifies critical determinants of combined sprint and endurance performance using multiple regression analyses of physiologic …

Standing up is harder to perform when getting older. The company SillaPlus want to create a physical device that can be attached to already existing chairs and will help elderly people get up from a chair. The company reached out to students who want to help with the development of a get up aid. The …

Being able to perform a press handstand is required to progress to more difficult techniques on almost every apparatus. Therefore it is recommended to learn this skill at an early age. The press handstand requires a combination of high strength, flexibility and motor skills all of which are valued abilities. …

Background: The ability to generate muscle strength is a pre-requisite for all human movement. Decreased quadriceps muscle strength is frequently observed in older adults and is associated with a decreased performance and activity limitations. To quantify the quadriceps muscle strength and to monitor …

Patients with non-specific low back pain (LBP) may use postural control strategies that differ from healthy subjects. To study these possible differences, we measured the amount and structure of postural sway, and the response to muscle vibration in a working cohort of 215 subjects. Subjects were standing …