From Exercise Prescription to Human Functional Capacity Management: A Narrative Review and Conceptual Perspective

Abstract

Exercise programs are generally described through frequency, duration, intensity, repetitions, and generalized measures of strength or fitness. Muscle Functional Capacity (MFC) proposes a different starting point: objective measurement of individual muscle groups relative to a defined reference capacity, followed by integration of the results with clinical and functional information to generate an individualized exercise prescription. A published 12-week pilot study involving 169 participants aged 16–94 years reported an increase in mean study-specific MFC from 57.06% to 75.17%, together with reductions in questionnaire scores relating to psychological stress, physical stress, quality of daily life, and disease-related burden. This narrative review and conceptual perspective describes the MFC framework, the reported pilot findings, and the longitudinal and population-level possibilities presented in the source texts. MFC is not currently a validated predictor of future injury or disease. Prospective longitudinal research is required to determine whether changes in muscle-group capacity can predict later functional outcomes.