Research
Mixed
Intrinsic muscle properties (such as fiber type and contractile speed) become the primary determinant of Rate of Force Development (RFD) in the later phases of a rapid contraction (>75 ms), whereas neural factors dominate the early phase.
If your movement lasts longer than 75 milliseconds, your muscle's physical properties (like fiber type and size) matter more for speed than your initial neural burst. Maximal strength (MVC) becomes a stronger predictor of force output as the contraction progresses.
GoodQualifiesHIGH confidence
For contractions of longer duration (>75 ms), however, the voluntary RFD becomes more strongly influenced by the speed-related properties of the muscle and MVC force per se
Why this rating
Supported by regression analyses in cited studies (Folland et al. 2014, Andersen and Aagaard 2006).
Source
Rate of force development: physiological and methodological considerations
Nicola A. Maffiuletti et al. · European Journal of Applied Physiology · 2016
DOI 10.1007/s00421-016-3346-6
narrative_reviewCited 1,321×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Rate of force development (RFD) in the early phase of a rapid contraction (first 50–75 ms) is primarily determined by neural factors, specifically the capacity for maximal voluntary activation and increased motor unit discharge rate, rather than intrinsic muscle contractile properties.Good
- Explosive-type and heavy-resistance strength training can improve Rate of Force Development (RFD) in various populations, primarily by enhancing rapid muscle activation (neural adaptations).Good
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