Maximal muscle strength is one of the most commonly assessed neuromuscular parameters in people with COPD due to its accessibility and relevance for prescribing an appropriate workload for resistance training. However, maximal force production is very rarely necessary during daily activities which requires production of submaximal and precisely controlled forces. Despite growing research on motor impairments in COPD, very little attention has been given to the effect of this disease on force control. Therefore, this research aims to better understand the potential deficits in force control caused by COPD, through the use of advanced signal processing methods (i.e., nonlinear approaches). We hypothesized that force control would be reduced in people with COPD compared to healthy individuals, particularly at low force levels.
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Difference of the coefficient of variation (CV) of force signal between COPD patients and healthy participants for different contraction intensities.
Timeframe: 10-min