Abstract
The purpose of this study was to quantify the errors associated with multiple regression equations that use gender, age, height, and weight for estimating peak torque (PT) for leg extension and flexion. Forty-three men (mean age ± SO 24.4 ± 4.7 years) volunteered as subjects. Peak torque values for extension and flexion of the dominant leg at 60 and 180 deg/sec were determined using a Cybex II dynamometer (Cybex, Ronkonkoma, NY). The results of the cross-validation analyses indicated that the total error (TE) values for the equations ranged from 21.4 to 24.6 ft-lbs (14.8 to 18.9% of mean) for leg extension and 20.6 to 32.8 ft-lbs (31.0 to 52.0% of the mean) for leg flexion. The magnitude of the TE values indicate that these equations should be used only in situations where a gross estimation of PT may be helpful.