2. • Muscle Performance
– Muscle Performance refers to the capacity of the
muscle to do work. The key elements of muscle
performance are strength, power and endurance
*In order to improve muscle performance all these
three aspects should be regarded
3. • Factors Affecting Muscle Performance
• Muscle performance is affected by all systems
of the body.
– Morphological qualities of the muscle
– Neurological, biochemical and biomechanical
influences
– Metabolic, cardiovascular, respiratory, emotional
function
4. • Causes of Impaired Muscle Performance
• Disease, injury, or lesion affecting
musculoskeletal or neuromuscular system.
• Immobilization.
• Disuse or inactivity.
5. • Muscle Performance Exercises
– Are a large category of exercises designed to
improve the three elements of muscle
performance that is strength, power, and
endurance
6. • Muscle Strength: is the ability to produce
tension and the resultant force based on the
demands placed upon the muscle.
• Muscle strength is expressed as the greatest
measurable force that can be exerted by a
muscle or muscle group to overcome
resistance during a single, maximal effort
7. Types Of Muscular Contraction
• Isometric (Static) Contraction: Involves muscular
contractions with increasing muscle tension without
movement of the joint.
• Isotonic Dynamic Contraction: Involves muscular
contractions with joint movement and excursion of a
body segment.
• Dynamic exercises involves either concentric
(shortening) or eccentric ( lengthening) contraction.
• Concentric Contraction: is a shortening contraction
when the muscle contract with increasing tension and
a decrease the distance between the origin and
insertion(shortening).
8. • Eccentric Contraction: is a lengthening
contraction when the muscle is loaded behind
its force producing capacity causing physical
lengthening of the muscle as it attempts to
control the load.
*This type of muscular contraction serves to
check the rate of motion of an extremity,
acting as a braking action.
9. • Isometric exercise is “exercise in which a
muscle contracts and produces force without
an appreciable change in length of the muscle
and without visible joint motion.
• Isotonic exercise: Exercise in which a
contracting muscle shortens against a
constant load, as when lifting a weight
10. Sources of resistance
• Holding against a force applied manually.
• Holding weight in a particular position.
• Maintaining a position against the resistance
of the body weight.
• Pushing or pulling on immovable object.
11. Indications of Isometric Exercises
• During immobilization as joint movement is not
possible due to immobilization by casts, splints,
braces, or various types of traction apparatus.
• After joint surgeries or injuries, when movement
is too painful, or when movement may interfere
with the healing process.
• When the muscle weakness is confined to a
definite angle or part of the range.
12. Aims of Isometric exercises
• Prevent or minimize muscle atrophy when joint
movement is not possible
• Activate muscle and facilitate muscle contraction
especially after surgeries or when acute injury of
the joint or the soft tissue surrounding it.
• Develop posture or joint stability.
• Improve muscle strength when use of dynamic
resistance exercises could harm the condition.
• To develop static muscle strength at particular
points of the range consistent with specific task
related needs.
13. Contraindications and precautions
– Isometric exercise can increase blood pressure and
heart rate to levels that would be dangerous for
anyone with undiagnosed cardiac problems.
– Isometric exercise also increases intra abdominal
pressure to dangerously high levels.
*Make sure you to instruct the patient not to hold
breathing during isometric exercise to avoid valsalva
maneuver.
14. Clinical Application of Isometric Exercises
• Principles of Application
• To achieve effect, it's necessary to maintain
isometric contraction for 6 to10 seconds.
• The exercise should be repeated 5 to 10 times.
• Any one isometric exercise will only increase
muscle strength at one joint angle. Strengthening
the other joint positions requires repetition of
further corresponding exercises.
• Allow a period of rest following each sets of
contraction to avoid fatigue.
15. Exercise: Isometric exercises
• Group 1: 3:Deltoid muscles, lateral and medial rotators
of the shoulder
• Group 2: Elbow flexors & extensors, Wrist flexors and
extensors of the wrist,
• Group 3: Extensors, flexors and rotators of the spine
• Group 4: Hip muscles,
• Group 5: Quadriceps muscles, Harmstrings, Tibialis
anterior
16. Individual Assignment
• Revise muscles of the body
• Choose a muscle or a group of muscles of an
individual (mention age and sex) of your
choice, which is a prime mover.
• What is its antagonist?
• Apply assisted exercises including starting
positions
• Give Indications of the exercises
• Give precautions for these exercises
