Body Composition and Anthropometric Correlates of Isokinetic Leg Extension Strength of Young Adult Males

The present study examined the relative importance of body size and composition as determinants of individual differences in isokinetic leg extensor strength in young adult males performing at slow, moderate, and fast speeds. The subjects were 31 males between the ages of 19 and 29 years, who were not participating in weight training programs. Low to moderate correlations were found between isokinetic strength and body size or body composition measurements. At each speed, similar proportions of the variance in peak torque values were accounted for by lean body weight (23-30%) and thigh volume (20-37%). However, body weight, often suggested as the best reference standard for equalizing strength scores, also accounted for only 13-24% of the variance in peak torque values at each of the speeds tested. The moderate correlations reported in this study do not support the use of body size and composition measurements as a means of adjusting strength values.