Strength Tests. 327 



STRENGTH TESTS. 



The popular belief that strength diminishes rapidly as a fast progresses has 

 been based upon the innumerable personal impressions of individuals who have 

 from time to time gone without meals and observed an apparent lack of 

 strength. These personal impressions have been scientifically substantiated 

 by tests with the ergograph as made by Maggiora * in which a rapid diminution 

 in strength immediately follows the beginning of a fast. 



The tests made by Luciani (4) on Succi in which a dynamometer was used 

 to measure the strength of the right and left hands showed results seemingly 

 at variance with the popular impression. Thus, on the 21st day of the fast, 

 Succi was able to register on the dynamometer a stronger grip than when the 

 fast began. From the 20th to the 30th day of the fast, however, his strength 

 decreased, being less at the end than at the beginning of the fast. In discussing 

 these results, Luciani pointed out the fact that Succi believed that he gained 

 in strength as the fast progressed and hence probably did not exert the greatest 

 power at the beginning of the experiment. Considering the question of the 

 influence of inanition on the onset of fatigue, Luciani states that the fatigue 

 curve obtained from Succi on the 29th fast day was similar to that obtained 

 with an individual under normal conditions. 



The interesting observations made by the subject of Johansson's experiments, 

 J. A. (9), in which he noted the length of time he could suspend himself 

 on his arm, showed a marked falling off in strength as the fast progressed. 

 This strength was rapidly regained on the subsequent ingestion of food. 



As has frequently been pointed out, tests with the dynamometer and tests 

 such as were employed by J. A. are, however, not necessarily true indices of 

 the actual strength but a resultant of will and strength. 27 Therefore strength 

 tests with the hand dynamometer are of questionable value as accurate records 

 of the strength of muscles at different periods of the fast. 



In the experiments on Cetti (7) the dynamometer was not used, but the 

 measurement of the vital capacity was taken as an index of the strength. 

 This measurement tested the tension of the respiratory muscles. From the 

 5th to the 10th day there is no noticeable diminution in the vital capacity, 

 although on taking food after the fast there was an increase of several hundred 

 cubic centimeters above that of the fasting period. 



The results with Breithaupt indicate an actual increase in the capacity of 

 the muscles to perform work as the fast progresses. 



In the series of 2-day experiments here reported, tests were made with a 

 Tiemann hand dynamometer to secure data regarding any apparent influence 

 of inanition on strength. In the following table the results are recorded in 



ie Arch. f. Anatomie und Physiologie, 1890, p. 227. 



27 For a more complete discussion of this point see Luciani (4), p. 56, and Leh- 

 mann & Zuntz (7), p. 184. 



