RESUMO
Bulk of informations regarding the fitness researches indicates the general tendency of decrease of physical fitness level among urban adults, especially the middle and high ages. Development of simple and unsophisticated testing methods from which lower extremity fitness may be easily evaluated is a matter of urgent necessity. For this reason, the following test items were examined and proved to be valid for the testing purpose.<BR>1) Twisting strength against resistance at the hips by use of transducer apparatus<BR>2) Maximum height of single leg step up<BR>3) Maximum height of single leg step down<BR>4) Relationship between the height of chair from which the subject stands up without using upper extremities and the degree of trunk forward leaning<BR>5) Maximum time length of single leg stand while 80% body weight is loaded<BR>6) Foot dorsi flexion strength In addition, effect of daily training using some of the above mentioned tests was confirmed among middle and high age subjects.<BR>The characteristics of strength exertion was further studied in order to provide fundamental informations for the tests developed. Upon obtaining strength exertion pattern along with time course, a curve figure was constructed in which the difference between the maximum tension (Pmax) and tension recorded at arbitrary time (P), hence Pmax-P, was placed on the ordinate and the time by logarhythmic unit was placed on the abscissa. The strength curve, when demonstrated in this manner, was formed to be composed of three linear parts, indicating this recording method is useful in analyzing the characteristics of strength exertion.<BR>Whether performance drop curve during 30 seconds exercise may indicate 5 minutes endurance exercise was, then examined. The results indicated that repetitive muscular contractions for 30 seconds may be more valid than continuous contraction for 30 seconds in predicting muscular endurance of the middle and high age subjects.
RESUMO
1) The time course of nearly isometrical tension development of human voluntary muscular contraction was analyzed for the purpose of finding some desirable indicators of the capability of human body to exert maximal muscle force as fast as possible.<BR>2) The isometric tension curves of maximal exertion of hand gripping, arm and indexfinger bending recorded, the linear relation between P<SUB>max</SUB>-P, which is a difference between its maximal tension and each value of tension in the time course, and log t, which is the logarithm of time corresponding to each value of tension, was found in each of three portions of a whole curve of time course of tension, the three portions being a range from P<SUB>0</SUB> (log t<SUB>0</SUB>) to P<SUB>1</SUB> (log t<SUB>1</SUB>), from P1 (log t<SUB>1</SUB>) to P<SUB>2</SUB> (log t<SUB>2</SUB>) and from P<SUB>2</SUB> (log t<SUB>2</SUB>) to P<SUB>max</SUB> (log t<SUB>max</SUB>.) respectively.<BR>3) The range from P<SUB>1</SUB> (log t<SUB>1</SUB>) to P<SUB>2</SUB> (log t<SUB>2</SUB>) is a phase in which the tension increases most rapidly from an initial small tension to a large tension and is, therefore, regarded as a most characteristic one with respect to the time course of muscle force development exerted voluntarily as fast as possible.<BR>4) The angles of intersection of the line connecting P<SUB>1</SUB> (t<SUB>1</SUB>) with P<SUB>2</SUB> (t<SUB>2</SUB>) or P<SUB>1</SUB> (log t<SUB>1</SUB>) with P<SUB>2</SUB> (log t<SUB>2</SUB>), with the abscissa in the tension-time or tension-log t curve, which are denoted as or respectively, were found to be able to be adopted as indicators of the capability of human body to exert maximal muscular force for a short period of time.<BR>5) The tension curves were found to be nearly the same each other when they were recorded three or four times in the interval of 30 seconds with one and the same subject. If the difference is small between the first and the second record of the time course of a given subject, either of them may be adopted, but if not so, one have to only record the third curve and adopt either of the two resembling each other among the three records.<BR>6) Concerning the subjects of the same age, the difference between P<SUB>max</SUB> and P<SUB>2</SUB> was small and the tan was large with a subject whose P was large. The tan ψ or tanθ was as a rule smaller with subjects of middle and high ages than with younger ones.<BR>7) The Pmax decreased with lapse of time when the maximal effort of contraction whose duration was one second was repeated in the interval of three seconds for two minutes. Under this condition the tan ψ increased in some cases, but did not in other cases. Also there were some cases in which t<SUB>1</SUB> remained constant in spite of a decrease in the P<SUB>max</SUB> with subjects of middle and high ages, P<SUB>1</SUB> of them decreased with decreasing t<SUB>1</SUB>. In short the change of the characteristics of the tension curves due to fatigue showed some individual variation.<BR>8) The decrease in the P<SUB>max</SUB> during a continuation of maximal effort of contraction was more remarkable than in the case of repeated contraction mentioned above, but the changes of the values of indicators were nearly the same in both cases.<BR>9) The P<SUB>max</SUB> of hand gripping and index-finger bending decreased to some extent when examined immediately after the effort of contraction had been continued under the condition that the blood stream in the fore-arm was stopped by applying the maximal blood pressure by a manchette of sphygnomanometer. The change of the values of the indicators under this condition was nearly the same as under the condition without the application of pressure, but under the former condition there were some cases in which a portion of the tension curve corresponding to P<SUB>1</SUB> (log t<SUB>1</SUB>) deviated from the intersection of the lines, or some cases in which the records of one
RESUMO
1) The reaction time of the avoidance movement of jumping off toward a given place, which was regarded as an indicator of the quickness of movement of the group of muscles of the lower limbs, was measured and compared with the quickness of these of the upper limbs.<BR>2) The reaction time of movement of placing one's hand from one to the other of the two pushing-plates, by pushing which the electric circuits were closed, was measured. The reaction time of the commencement of the movement was similar to the simple reaction time, and its correlation with age was not high. The time taken to place one's hand on the other plate tended to be a little longer with subject of middle and high ages.<BR>3) The dispersion of the values of reaction time of both the commencement and the termination of movement when measured repeatedly was similar to that of the simple reaction time, but the dispersion of the difference between these two kinds of reaction times, that is, that of the time taken to move one's hand was smaller than that of the simple reaction time.<BR>4) Concerning one-step jumping aside to the right hand side, the reaction time of the commencement of movement under the condition that the legs were moved one by one was longer than the simple reaction time, and was also longer than that of the simultaneous movement of the both legs. The reaction time of both the commencement and the termination of movement was longer with higher ages, and was longer with women than with men. This relation was more evident in the successive movement of each legs than in the simultaneous one. The frequency distribution curve obtaind by repeating the measurement of the reaction time of jumping off showed a nearly normal distribution curve. The correlation between the reaction time of hand movement and that of jumping off was not so high.<BR>5) The scattering of the landing position of one-step jumping aside to the right hand side did not show any correlation with the values of the time taken to move one's legs.There was, however, a high correlation (r=+0.96) between the scattering of the landing position and that of the reaction time.<BR>6) There was no large difference between the reaction time of one-step jumping aside to the right hand side and that to the left hand side. With respect to forward jumping, the period of time during which the pressure at the first pushing-plate remained equal to the body weight was longer when the both legs were not simultaneously moved. There was no large difference between forward and backward jumping.<BR>7) The variation of the reaction time of two-steps jumping with respect to age was similar to that of one-step jumping.<BR>8) The results mentioned above indicate that one-step jumping aside is to be adopted as an indicator of the quickness of movement of the group of muscles of the lower limbs, and that it is practically useful to measure the time taken for one's one leg to tread on the second pushing-plate.