Physical strength

This article contains weasel words, vague phrasing that often accompanies biased or unverifiable information. Such statements should be clarified or removed. (November 2009)

Physical strength is the ability of a person to exert force on physical objects using muscles. Increasing physical strength is the goal of strength training.

Overview

An individual's physical strength is determined by two factors; the cross-sectional area of muscle fibers recruited to generate force and the intensity of the recruitment. Individuals with a high proportion of type I slow twitch muscle fibers will be relatively weaker than a similar individual with a high proportion of type II fast twitch fibers, but would have a greater inherent capacity for physical endurance. The genetic inheritance of muscle fiber type sets the outermost boundaries of physical strength possible (barring the use of enhancing agents such as testosterone), though the unique position within this envelope is determined by training. Individual muscle fiber ratios can be determined through a muscle biopsy. Other considerations are the ability to recruit muscle fibers for a particular activity, joint angles, and the length of each limb. For a given cross-section, shorter limbs are able to lift more weight. The ability to gain muscle also varies person to person, based mainly upon genes dictating the amounts of hormones secreted, but also on sex, age, health of the person, and adequate nutrients in the diet. A one rep maximum is the test to determine maximum muscular strength.

Prediction of static strength

Static strength prediction is the method of predicting the strength capabilities of a person or a population (based on anthropometry) for a particular task and/or posture (an isometric contraction). Manual calculations are usually performed using the top-down analysis on a six or seven-link model, based on available information about the case and then compared to standard guidelines, such as the one provided by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, to predict capability. '

References

It is said that people mostly Eastern European in descent typically have more Type I muscle fibers in which they can recruit enabling them to complete greater expresses of physical muscular strength, such as lifting a weight or the exertion of force. These ethnic groups contain the make up of groups such as Slavs, Germans, Nords. Modern countries containing these groups would be Russia for example or its satellite countries of the former USSR. However, the physical strength advantages are not limited to one region or area rather then all groups. Genes of all races are able to develop advantages in the muscle fiber recruitment areas.^{[citation needed]}

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