Comparison of conventional resistance training and the fly-wheel ergometer for training the quadriceps muscle group in patients with unilateral knee injury

Abstract

A fly-wheel ergometer (FWE) offering resistance training of the knee extensors has been designed for space travel and found to be effective during bed rest. The possibility exists that this device is also effective in training the knee extensors after knee injury. The purpose of this study was to compare the FWE to standard knee extensor training equipment for their effects on individuals with a history of knee injury, a group who commonly suffer from weakness of the knee extensors that effects their function. Twenty-nine subjects completed the study, which included tests of knee self-assessment, knee extensor static and dynamic muscle strength, size and neural activation as well as single leg power output, standing balance and vertical jump performance. Both groups showed statistically significant (P < 0.05) improvements in these variables over the 3-month training period but no differences were noted between the groups. The FWE appears to be as effective as standard resistance training equipment for improving knee extensor muscle group size and performance after knee injury.

Clinical Applications of Iso-Inertial, Eccentric-Overload (YoYo™) Resistance Exercise

“…The effects of open chain knee extensor exercise, using either YoYo™ or a weight-stack machine were compared in individuals with a history of knee ligament injury (Greenwood et al, 2007). The YoYo™ paradigm was equally, if not more effective as the more conservative approach to improve muscle strength and size, neural activation, standing balance, and vertical jump performance.…”

“…Following the introduction of the iso-inertial YoYo™ technology as a viable and physiologically sound exercise device for space crew (Berg and Tesch, 1994), mounting evidence suggests this solution offers, and mediates, unique physiological responses and benefits beyond what is possible by means of other established resistance exercise interventions (Norrbrand et al, 2008, 2010, 2011; Cuenca-Fernandez et al, 2015). There is sparse, yet growing evidence that this method also has important clinical applications and could serve geriatric populations and athletes and other patients in need of rehabilitation following muscle wasting or orthopedic/neurological trauma (Greenwood et al, 2007; Onambele et al, 2008; Romero-Rodriguez et al, 2011; Fernandez-Gonzalo et al, 2014c; Sarmiento et al, 2014; Abat et al, 2015; Oliveira et al, 2015; Gual et al, 2016; Fernandez-Gonzalo et al, 2016a). This review covers research, pertinent to clinical applications, which has made use of, and explored the efficacy of, this novel resistance exercise paradigm favoring eccentric overload.…”

Análisis de los efectos de un protocolo de electroestimulación y ejercicios excéntricos, isométricos y concéntricos sobre el dolor y la funcionalidad en el tratamiento y readaptación de la tendinopatía rotuliana o rodilla del saltador

“…Un equipo de prensa isoinercial ya fue usado a principios de los 90 como entrenamiento concéntrico--excéntrico con sobrecarga a través de una rueda giratoria [251] y la eficacia de esta modalidad de ejercicios ha sido validada en estudios, en sujetos sanos [252,253] y en pacientes con lesiones de rodilla [254]. Un grupo estudió los resultados en pacientes con tendinopatía rotuliana usando sobrecarga excéntrica con prensa isoinercial (Fig.21) [19] que es el que se describirá a continuación.…”

Efectos sobre la masa muscular y las manifestaciones de la fuerza, del entrenamiento unilateral excéntrico vs concéntrico

“…También encontramos que el sistema de volante inercial ha sido comparado con el entrenamiento en máquinas convencionales para ver sus efectos en pacientes con lesión de rodilla en donde se ha visto que mejora el balance de estos sujetos (Greenwood et al, 2007). También se ha usado para el tratamiento de la tendinopatía patelar (Romero-Rodriguez et al, 2011), para evaluar la recuperación después de un tiempo de reposo (Rittweger y Felsenberg, 2009), y para ver las propiedades mecánicas de los tendones a diferentes niveles de uso (Reeves, 2006).…”