Maximum force is the highest possible force an organism can exert against resistance. It is influenced by internal factors, such as muscle composition, and external factors, such as time of day. When there are structural changes in the contractile components, maximum force is diminished.
What is maximum strength?
Maximum force is the highest possible force that an organism can exert against a resistance. Sports medicine recognizes different types of force. All of them involve the neuromuscular system and help overcome resistance. Along with reactive force, maximum force is one of the most important types of force. Maximum force is the maximum amount of force a person can exert to overcome resistance. More force than the maximum force is available to a person only in exceptional situations, for example in the context of traumatic and life-threatening experiences or under certain hypnosis techniques. In these situations, the extra strength is made up of the strength reserves, which combine with maximum strength to form absolute strength. Maximum force depends on both internal and external factors. For example, as an internal factor, the number of muscle fibers has an influence on the maximum possible force. External factors include contexts such as the time of day.
Function and task
Maximum strength is considered the basis for strength properties such as strength endurance, rapid strength, and reactive strength. It can be divided into several categories. One of them is static maximum force, which is also called isometric maximum force. Maximum holding force, for example, falls into this category. This type of force corresponds to the greatest possible force that the nerve-muscle system can exert against a resistance with insurmountability. The dynamic maximum force must be distinguished from this. This type of force refers to movements in which the force can be applied only once and only under predefined conditions because of the high stress. The musculature knows different ways of working. Depending on the mode of operation, the dynamic maximum force is divided into concentric and eccentric dynamic maximum force. The concentric mode of work corresponds to overcoming maximum high resistance. The eccentric mode of operation occurs when maximum weights are lowered. The dynamic types of force differ from the static maximum force in their level. The concentric dynamic maximum force, for example, is located below the static one. In turn, the static maximum force is below the eccentric dynamic maximum force. Eccentric maximum force is understood by some sources as a metrological representation of an absolute force. By distinguishing between eccentric and isometric maximum force, an individual force deficit can be determined. This strength deficit can be used for training planning. A high strength deficit indicates, for example, a low level of intramuscular coordination. Inform of a maximum strength training these characteristics can be improved. Hypertrophy training, on the other hand, increases muscle thickness and helps improve general strength abilities. They are suitable for training planning when strength deficits are low and intramuscular coordination is appropriately high. Some authors consider the distinction between the different forms of contraction inadmissible, since all of them are due to a uniform ability. For this reason, there are also sources that do not break down the individual forms of contraction further and describe all of them under the broader concept of maximum force. Various factors determine maximum force. Internal factors include, for example, muscle thickness. The greater the thickness, the higher the contraction elements actin and myosin contained. In addition, the number of muscle fibers, the ratio of fiber types and the structure of the muscles are among the internal factors influencing maximum force. The same applies to the interaction of synergistic muscles, the sequence of muscle activation by the nerves, the interaction of individual muscle fibers and the length of the muscle fibers. The angle of pull, the elasticity of the muscles, the static maximum force and the muscle pre-stretching also play a role as internal factors of the maximum force. The same applies to the contraction speed, the mental motivation level and the concentration.Because of the average (not absolute) difference in the muscle proportions of the sexes, gender must also be evaluated as an influencing factor. Age and training condition as well as nutrition and state of preparation complete the list of internal factors. External influencing factors include time of day and ambient temperature, for example, external motivation.
Diseases and ailments
Maximum strength varies from person to person. Someone with a lack of exercise and a poor nutritional status will automatically have lower maximum strength. Such differences, therefore, do not equal pathology and, consequently, do not necessarily possess disease value. On the other hand, various diseases can also limit a person’s maximum strength. This is especially true for diseases of the neuromuscular system. In particular, diseases directly related to the contractile elements of the musculature have a negative influence on maximum strength. Such diseases include, for example, structural changes in the muscle element myosin, which can result from genetic mutations and cause serious muscle diseases. One of the best-known examples from this group of diseases is familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which is subject to autosomal dominant inheritance and can cause heart failure. The term myopathy includes many other diseases that are inherent diseases of the muscles and thus cause limitations in maximum strength. Myopathies have no neuronal cause, but are always characterized by weakness of the muscles. In all myopathies, structural changes and usually functional impairments are present in the muscle. The most commonly affected muscles are the striated skeletal muscles. Most myopathies have a mild course. Some of the muscle weaknesses are merely transient. A deficiency or defect of the contractile muscle structural protein actin can also have consequences for maximum strength. Actin is considered an essential component of all cells. Therefore, mutations and structural changes of the protein in extreme cases even lead to the death of the organism. When the mutations affect the coding genes of alpha-actins, muscle diseases occur.
