Divergent muscle functional and architectural responses to two successive high intensity resistance exercise sessions in competitive weightlifters and resistance trained adults

Abstract

Peak force (PF), contractile rate of force development (RFD) and contractile impulse (CI) are of great importance to competitive weightlifters (WL). These athletes routinely perform successive bouts of high-intensity resistance exercise (HIRE) within the same day (double-day training) with the aim of improving muscular function and weightlifting performance. The purpose of this investigation was to determine and compare the PF, contractile RFD and CI responses to double-day training between WL and resistance trained (RT) adults (n = 16 per group). Furthermore, we sought to establish whether acute changes in muscle function were associated with acute changes in muscle architecture. Isometric front squat PF, contractile RFD, CI and the pennation angle (θ(p)), anatomical and physiological thickness of the m. vastus lateralis (VL) were determined before and after two equivalent HIRE sessions separated by 4-6 h rest. Each session consisted of ten single repetitions of the dynamic barbell front squat interspersed with 2-min rest, using a load equivalent to 90% of the pre-session PF. Weightlifters demonstrated greater PF at all time points when compared to RT adults and exhibited no significant within or between session changes in PF, contractile RFD or CI. Conversely, RT adults demonstrated within- and between-session decreases in PF and between-session increases in contractile RFD and CI. As no correlations were found between the relative within-session changes in muscle function and the concomitant changes in muscle architecture, other factors must contribute to the divergent responses in PF, contractile RFD and CI between WL and RT adults.

The Validity and Responsiveness of Isometric Lower Body Multi-Joint Tests of Muscular Strength: a Systematic Review

“…Reliability of the isometric squat test was rated fair in one study [41] and good in three studies [42–44]. Reliability of the isometric leg press was evaluated in one study [45] rated as poor methodological quality.…”

“…Ratings for the isometric squat test of fair [41] and good [43] methodological quality were found within the included studies. All four studies performed hypothesis testing with one study additionally investigating construct validity for known positional groups in rugby union players [54].…”

“…All four studies performed hypothesis testing with one study additionally investigating construct validity for known positional groups in rugby union players [54]. Evaluation of measurement properties for construct validity revealed one study for the isometric squat test rated positive [41], one as indeterminate [43] with two other studies using the isometric mid-thigh pull test rating indeterminate [38, 54]. Twenty-two studies rated as poor in methodological quality [15, 16, 45–47, 50, 52, 53, 55–68] were limited due to insufficient participant numbers or lacked clarity in their hypotheses generation.…”

The Importance of Lean Body Mass for the Rate of Force Development in Taekwondo Athletes and Track and Field Throwers

“…Some studies have shown a link between fascicle length or fascicle angle and muscle power [14,21,28,42,43], while other studies failed to reveal similar results [28,44,45]. This discrepancy might be due to the differential effect of muscle architecture in the early and late RFD.…”

Training-induced changes in architecture of human skeletal muscles: Current evidence and unresolved issues

“…The ratio of inclusion of sport-specific training (e.g., sprint training) and resistance training during daily competitive activities may depend on coaches and competitive levels, which might be associated with the discrepancy. In fact, the top level of competitive weightlifters, who frequently include resistance training in their training activities, had a greater VL pennation angle than resistance-trained subjects with a similar VL muscle thickness between the two groups 39) . With respect to the pennation angle, Kawakami et al 10) showed that bodybuilders had a much larger pennation angle (mean, 33°, range 15° to 55°) of TB compared to untrained control subjects (mean, 15°).…”