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Contribution
of aerobic fitness and back strength to lift capacity.
Matheson LN, Mooney V, Leggett S, Karen Schneider, Mayer JM. Spine
(in press).
Study Design: This study used a concurrent validity regression
design with 45 healthy female participants to study the contributions
of aerobic capacity and back strength to lift capacity.
Objectives: The objective of this study was to measure the
relative contributions of aerobic capacity and back strength to lift
capacity.
Summary of Background Data: This was the first concurrent study
of the relationships among spinal strength, aerobic capacity, and
lift capacity. Previous research has demonstrated moderate to strong
relationships between spinal strength and lift capacity and between
aerobic capacity and lift capacity.
Methods: Multiple regression techniques were used with established
reliable and valid measures of each construct to study the individual
and joint contributions of spinal strength and aerobic capacity to
lift capacity.
Results: Both spinal strength and aerobic capacity make significant
independent contributions to lift capacity, accounting for 11% and
27% of the variance, respectively. Taken together, the predictive
power of these variables on lift capacity is increased, accounting
for 43% of the variance.
Conclusions: Lift capacity is dependent on both back strength
and aerobic capacity. It may be inappropriate to use lift capacity
as an indicator of the severity of spinal impairment in a disability
determination system without taking into account the individual's
aerobic capacity. Treatment that is intended to improve the lift capacity
of persons with spinal impairment should anticipate that both improvement
in back strength and aerobic capacity would improve lift capacity.
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