Analysis of maintaining human maximal voluntary contraction control strategies through the power grip task in isometric contraction

Abstract

Power grip force is used as a representative indicator of the ability of the human neuromuscular system. However, people maintain the power grip force via different control strategies depending on the visual feedback that shows the magnitude of the force, the magnitude of the target grip force, and external disturbance. In this study, we investigated the control strategy of maintaining the power grip force in an isometric contraction depending on these conditions by expressing the power grip force as a person’s Maximal Voluntary Contraction (MVC). The participants were asked to maintain the MVC for each condition. Experimental results showed that humans typically control their MVC constant abilities based on proprioception, and maintaining the target MVC becomes relatively difficult as the magnitude of the target MVC increases. In addition, through interactions between the external disturbance and the target MVC, the MVC error increases when the target MVC increases and an external disturbance is applied. When the MVC error reaches a certain level, the offset effect is expressed through visual feedback, helping to reduce the MVC error and maintain it smoothly, revealing a person’s MVC maintenance control strategy for each condition.