Eccentric exercise: mechanisms and effects when used as training regime or training adjunct

Abstract

The aim of the current review is to discuss applications and mechanism of eccentric exercise in training regimes of competitive sports. Eccentric muscle work is important in most sports. Eccentric muscle contractions enhance the performance during the concentric phase of stretch-shortening cycles, which is important in disciplines like sprinting, jumping, throwing, and running. Muscles activated during lengthening movements can also function as shock absorbers, to decelerate during landing tasks or to precisely deal with high external loading in sports like alpine skiing. The few studies available on trained subjects reveal that eccentric training can further enhance maximal muscle strength and power. It can further optimize muscle length for maximal tension development at a greater degree of extension, and has potential to improve muscle coordination during eccentric tasks. In skeletal muscles, these functional adaptations are based on increases in muscle mass, fascicle length, number of sarcomeres, and cross-sectional area of type II fibers. Identified modalities for eccentric loading in athletic populations involve classical isotonic exercises, accentuated jumping exercises, eccentric overloading exercises, and eccentric cycle ergometry. We conclude that eccentric exercise offers a promising training modality to enhance performance and to prevent injuries in athletes. However, further research is necessary to better understand how the neuromuscular system adapts to eccentric loading in athletes.

The sarcomeric cytoskeleton: from molecules to motion

“…The mechanical properties of the Z-disk have also been tested using atomic force microscopy (AFM) of myofibrils, which confirmed the Z-disk to be the stiffest of the anchoring planes in both activated and relaxed myofibrils (Akiyama et al, 2006;Wakayama et al, 2000;Yamada et al, 2003). Intriguingly, eccentric exercise, one of the strongest stimulants of hypertrophic muscle growth and performance endurance (Vogt and Hoppeler, 2014), not only induces marked deformation of sarcomere structure (Friden and Lieber, 1992) and is the primary cause of injury (Lieber and Fridén, 1999) but also induces the translocation of Z-disk components (myotilin) to M-bands (Carlsson et al, 2007). This latter observation, together with others on similar 'multicompartment proteins' , supports an as yet poorly understood interplay between the Z-disk and M-band in exercise-induced muscle remodelling, either as mechanosensors or as passively regulated signalling scaffolds.…”

Triceps Brachii Muscle Strength and Architectural Adaptations with Resistance Training Exercises at Short or Long Fascicle Length

“…Nevertheless, little is known about the effectiveness of each one of these different training positions to promote muscle mass and hypertrophy. It has been proposed that resistance exercise at different muscle lengths may force muscles to work at various areas of the length-tension curve [3]. For example, two of the most popular resistance exercises for strengthening the elbow extensors are the cable push-downs and the cable overhead extension performed with a pulley.…”

Body Strenght Fitness as One of the Perspective Form of Physical Activity Influence on Age-Dependent Adaptive Changes in Men’s Organism

“…Проблема пошуку ефективних форм рухової активності для досягнення виражених адаптацій-них змін в організмі людей різних вікових груп є досить актуальним питанням сьогодення [8][9][10][11]. Одною з перспективних форм м'язової діяльності, яка дозволяє диференційовано підходити до побу-дови тренувального процесу та корекції величини фізичних навантажень з урахуванням індивідуаль-них вікових можливостей організму людини та її статі -є використання силового фітнесу [4][5][6][7].…”

“…Разом з цим, низка авторів [10][11] досліджували особливості впливу занять з викори-станням засобів, принципів, методів, які притаман-ні фітнесу, атлетизму, бодібілдингу та іншим сило-вим напрямкам рухової активності, на рівень зміни морфометричних параметрів тіла та розвиток від-повідних фізичних якостей переважно контингенту шкільного та студентського віку.…”