Effects of Eccentric versus Concentric Training on Thigh Muscle Strength and EMG

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare pure eccentric and concentric strength training regarding possible specific effects of muscle action type on neuromuscular parameters, such as a decreased inhibition during maximal voluntary eccentric actions. Two groups of young healthy adult men performed 10 weeks of either eccentric or concentric unilateral isokinetic knee extensor training at 90° · s^-1, 4 sets of 10 maximal efforts, 3 days a week. Knee extensor torque and surface EMG from the quadriceps and hamstring muscle groups were collected and quantified in a window between 30 and 70° knee angle (range of motion 90 - 5°) during maximal voluntary eccentric and concentric knee extensor actions at 30, 90, and 270° · s^-1. Changes in strength of the trained legs revealed more signs of specificity related to velocity and contraction type after eccentric than concentric training. No major training effects were present in eccentric to concentric ratios of agonist EMG or in relative antagonist (hamstring) activation. Thus, for the trained leg, the muscle action type and speed specific changes in maximal voluntary eccentric strength could not be related to any effects on neural mechanisms, such as a selective increase in muscle activation during eccentric actions. Interestingly, with both types of training there were specific cross-education effects, that is, action type and velocity specific increases in strength occurred in the contralateral, untrained, leg, accompanied by a specific increase in eccentric to concentric EMG ratio after eccentric training.

Key words

Concentric - eccentric - efficiency - EMG - torque - training - velocity

References

• 1 Aagaard P, Simonsen E B, Andersen J L, Magnusson S P, Halkjaer-Kristensen J, Dyhre-Poulsen P. Neural inhibition during maximal eccentric and concentric quadriceps contraction: effects of resistance training.  J Appl Physiol. 2000;  89 2249-2257
• 2 Abbott B C, Bigland B, Ritchie J M. The physiological cost of negative work.  J Physiol. 1952;  117 380-390
• 3 Amiridis I G, Martin A, Morlon B, Martin L, Cometti G, Pousson M, van Hoecke J. Co-activation and tension-regulating phenomena during isokinetic knee extension in sedentary and highly skilled humans.  Eur J Appl Physiol. 1996;  73 149-156
• 4 Baratta R, Solomonow W, Zhou B, Letson D, Chuinard R, D'Ambrosia R. Muscular co-activation. The role of the antagonist musculature in maintaining knee stability.  Am J Sports Med. 1988;  16 113-122
• 5 Carey Smith R, Rutherford O M. A comparison of eccentric and concentric contractions in strength training in humans.  J Physiol. 1994;  475 26
• 6 Carolan B, Cafarelli E. Adaptations in coactivation after isometric resistance training.  J Appl Physiol. 1992;  73 911-917
• 7 Close R J. Dynamic properties of mammalian skeletal muscles.  Physiol Rev. 1972;  52 129-197
• 8 Enoka R M. Muscle strength and its development. New perspectives.  Sports Med. 1988;  6 146-168
• 9 Enoka R M. Neural adaptations with chronic physical activity.  J Biomech. 1997;  30 447-455
• 10 Garfinkel S, Cafarelli E. Relative changes in maximal force, EMG, and muscle cross-sectional area after isometric training.  Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1992;  24 1220-1227
• 11 Häkkinen K. Neuromuscular adaptations during strength training, aging, detraining, and immobilization.  Crit Rev Phys Rehabil Med. 1994;  6 161-198
• 12 Häkkinen K, Kallinen M, Izquierdo M. et al . Changes in agonist-antagonist EMG, muscle CSA, and force during strength training in middle-aged and older people.  J Appl Physiol. 1998;  84 1341-1349
• 13 Häkkinen K, Komi P V. Electromyographic changes during strength training and detraining.  Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1983;  15 455-460
• 14 Higbie E J, Cureton K J, Warren G L. Effects of concentric and eccentric isokinetic training on muscle strength, cross-sectional area and neural activation.  Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1994;  26 31
• 15 Hortobágyi T, Barrier J, Beard D, Braspennincx J, Koens P, Devita P, Dempsey L, Lambert J. Greater initial adaptations to submaximal muscle lengthening than maximal shortening.  J Appl Physiol. 1996;  81 1677-1682
• 16 Hortobágyi T, Hill J P, Houmard J A, Fraser D D, Lambert N J, Israel R G. Adaptive responses to muscle lengthening and shortening in humans.  J Appl Physiol. 1996;  80 765-772
• 17 Hortobagyi T, Lambert N J, Hill J P. Greater cross education following training with muscle lengthening than shortening.  Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1997;  29 107-112
• 18 Johnson B L, Asamczyk J W, Tennøe K O, Strømme S B. A comparison of concentric and eccentric muscle training.  Med Sci Sports. 1976;  8 35-38
• 19 Jones D A, Rutherford O M. Human muscle strength training: the effects of three different regimes and the nature of the resultant changes.  J Physiol. 1987;  391 1-11
• 20 Keen D A, Guang H Y, Enoka R M. Training-related enhancement in the control of motor output in elderly humans.  J Appl Physiol. 1994;  77 2648-2658
• 21 Komi P V, Buskirk E R. Effect of eccentric and concentric muscle conditioning on tension and electrical activity of human muscle.  Ergonomics. 1972;  15 417-434
• 22 Mayhew T P, Rothstein J M, Finucane S D, Lamb R L. Muscular adaptation to concentric and eccentric exercise at equal power levels.  Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1995;  27 868-873
• 23 McDonagh M JN, Davies C TM. Adaptive responses of mammalian skeletal muscle to exercise with high loads.  Eur J Appl Physiol. 1984;  52 139-155
• 24 Narici M V, Hoppeler H, Kayser B, Landoni L, Claassen H, Gavardi C, Conti M, Cerretelli P. Human quadriceps cross-sectional area, torque and neural activation during 6 months strength training.  Acta Physiol Scand. 1996;  157 175-186
• 25 O'Hagan F T, Sale D G, MacDougall J D, Garner S H. .  Comparative effectiveness of accommodating and weight resistance training modes Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1995;  27 1210-1219
• 26 Pavone E, Moffat M. Isometric torque of the quadriceps femoris after concentric, eccentric and isometric training.  Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 1985;  66 168-170
• 27 Ploutz L L, Tesch P A, Biro R L, Dudley G A. Effect of resistance training on muscle use during exercise.  J Appl Physiol. 1994;  76 1675-1681
• 28 Sale D G. Neural adaptation to resistance training.  Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1988;  20 135-145
• 29 Seger J Y, Arvidsson B, Thorstensson A. Specific effects of eccentric and concentric training on muscle strength and morphology in humans.  Eur J Appl Physiol. 1998;  79 49-57
• 30 Seger J Y, Westing S H, Hanson M, Karlson E, Ekblom B. A new dynamometer measuring concentric and eccentric muscle strength in accelerated, decelerated, or isokinetic movements.  Eur J Appl Physiol. 1988;  57 526-530
• 31 Seger J Y, Thorstensson A. Muscle strength and myoelectric activity in prepubertal and adult males and females.  Eur J Appl Physiol. 1994;  69 81-87
• 32 Tesch P A, Dudley G A, Duvoisin M R, Hather B M. Force and EMG signal patterns during repeated bouts of concentric and eccentric muscle actions.  Acta Physiol Scand. 1990;  138 263-271
• 33 Thorstensson A. Observations on strength training and detraining.  Acta Physiol Scand. 1977;  100 491-493
• 34 Thorstensson A, Karlsson J, Viitasalo J HT, Luhtanen P, Komi P V. Effect of strength training on EMG of human skeletal muscle.  Acta Physiol Scand. 1976;  98 232-236
• 35 de Vries H A. “Efficiency of electrical activity” as a physiological measure of the functional state of muscle tissue.  Am J Phys Med. 1968;  47 10-22
• 36 Westing S H, Cresswell A G, Thorstensson A. Muscle activation during maximal voluntary eccentric and concentric knee extension.  Eur J Appl Physiol. 1991;  62 104-108
• 37 Westing S H, Seger J Y, Thorstensson A. Effects of electrical stimulation on eccentric and concentric torque-velocity relationships during knee extension in man.  Acta Physiol Scand. 1990;  140 17-22
• 38 Wilkie D R. The relation between force and velocity in human muscle.  J Physiol. 1950;  110 249-280