Abstract
Background: Although peak torque has shown acceptable reproducibility, this may not be the case with two other often used parameters: time to peak torque (TPT) and the angle of peak torque (APT). Those two parameters should be used for the characterization of muscular adaptations in athletesMethods: The isokinetic performance of the knee extensors and flexors in both limbs was measured in 29 male athletes. The experimental protocol consisted of 3 consecutive identical paradigms separated by 45 min breaks. Each test consisted of 4 maximal concentric efforts performed at 60 and 180°/s. Reproducibility was quantified by the standart error measurement (SEM), the coefficient of variation (CV) and by means of intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs) with the calculation of 6 forms of ICCs.Results: Using ICC as the indicator of reproducibility, the correlations for TPT of both limbs showed a range of 0.51-0.65 in extension and 0.50-0.63 in flexion. For APT, the values were 0.46-0.60 and 0.51-0.81, respectively. In addition, the calculated standard error of measurement (SEM) and CV scores confirmed the low level of absolute reproducibility. Conclusions: Due to their low reproducibility, neither TPT nor APT can serve as independent isokinetic parameters of knee flexor and extensor performance. So, given its reproducibility level, TPT and APT should not be used for the characterization of muscular adaptations in athletes.