The cable tensiometer measures which of the following?

• A. Muscle strength
• B. Muscle flexibility
• C. Muscular endurance
• D. Muscle fatigue

Answer: (A)

It measures the maximum force a muscle group can generate in a single contraction. A cable tensiometer records the tension on the resistance cable as the muscle contracts, and the peak tension it reads reflects the muscle’s strength for that movement. It isn’t a direct measure of how flexible a joint or muscle is—that would involve flexibility—and it isn’t a direct test of how long a contraction can be sustained or how fatigue develops over repeated efforts, which pertain to endurance and fatigue. So the device is best understood as a tool for assessing peak force, i.e., muscular strength.