Characteristics of finger tapping are not affected by heavy strength training

The authors investigated the effects of 2 weeks of heavy index finger strength training on characteristics of freely chosen finger tapping including tapping frequency, tap force, and finger displacement. One group (n = 12) performed index finger extension and flexion strength training. A control group (n = 12) performed no intervention. Results showed that the training group increased strength in both extension (19.5 ± 22.2%, p = .015) and flexion (9.4 ± 9.8%, p = .001) from pretest to posttest. Furthermore, training did not affect the frequency and the pattern of the tapping movement (Fs = 0.004-3.441, ps = .077-.954). The present results are in contrast to previous findings of reduced movement frequency and altered movement pattern during ergometer pedaling after strength training. This difference may be explained by the dissimilarity between the 2 tasks.