Ergograph Verses Power Lab: Gender Difference of Hand Muscle Fatigue Time

Abstract

Background: Muscle Fatigue is associated with gender and there are different tools to measure it. We aimed to compare ‘Hand Muscle Fatigue Time’ (HMFT) in young healthy males and females through Ergograph as well as Power-Lab.

Methods: Simple comparative from was performed with 60 Male and 60 Female healthy students of Shalamar Medical and Dental College, Lahore, aged 20-23 years. Written consent was taken. Convenient sampling was employed. Study was approved from Institutional Review Board. HMFT was recorded through Ergograph along with student Kymograph and Power-Lab with LabTutor Software (AD Instruments 2 Adult Weighing Scale (used to measure height and weight. Mean, Standard Error of Mean and One-way was applied through SPSS version 18.

Results: HMFT on Ergograph showed same value for both genders. On Power Lab males exhibited 107% longer time. Males revealed 30% longer fatigue time on Power Lab while females presented 60% longer fatigue time on Ergograph. Gender comparison of HMFT between males and females of same Body Mass Index (n=29) revealed that males owned 22% more on Ergograph and 164% longer on Power Lab in contrast to females. Machine comparison of HMFT explored 19% increased value on Power-Lab than Ergograph and females showed 83% raised value on Ergograph than Power-Lab.

Conclusion: Excluding BMI as confounder young healthy males showed longer HMFT compared to females on and the noted significant difference was much pronounced with Power-Lab in contrast to Ergograph (p= 0.001)

Keywords: Ergograph, Power-Lab, Gender Difference, HMFT.