Partial protection against muscle damage by eccentric actions at short muscle lengths
Date
2005
Authors
Nosaka, Kazunori
Newton, Mike
Sacco, Paul
Chapman, Dale
Lavender, Andrew Philip
Editors
Advisors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Type:
Journal article
Citation
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 2005; 37(5):746-753
Statement of Responsibility
Kazunori Nosaka, Mike Newton, Paul Sacco, Dale Chapman, Andrew Lavender
Conference Name
Abstract
PURPOSE: This study investigated the hypothesis that maximal eccentric actions at a short muscle length would fail to confer a protective effect against muscle damage induced by maximal eccentric exercise at a long muscle length. METHODS: Eleven males performed 24 maximal eccentric actions of the nondominant elbow flexors over a short extension range from an elbow joint angle of 0.87-1.74 rad (S-ECC) followed 4 wk later by eccentric actions at a long range of 2.27-3.14 rad (L-ECC). A second group of 11 males performed L-ECC on two occasions using the nondominant arm separated by 4 wk. Changes in maximal isometric strength, range of motion, upper arm circumference, muscle soreness, plasma creatine kinase and aspartate aminotransferase activities, and B-mode ultrasound images were compared between bouts and between groups by two-way repeated measures ANOVA. RESULTS: All measures changed significantly (P < 0.01) after the first bout; however, the effects were significantly (P < 0.01) smaller after S-ECC compared with L-ECC. The second bout resulted in significantly (P < 0.01) reduced changes in all measures compared with the first bout in the subjects who performed L-ECC on both occasions. The subjects who performed S-ECC in the first bout displayed significantly smaller changes after L-ECC than those seen after L-ECC alone, with the degree of attenuation being around 50-70%. CONCLUSION: Contrary to the hypothesis, S-ECC provided partial but effective protection against L-ECC. This result suggests adaptations associated with the repeated bout effect were also produced after S-ECC, but the degree of adaptations was not as strong as that by L-ECC. Eccentric exercise at a short extension range can be used as a strategy to present severe muscle damage.
School/Discipline
School of Molecular and Biomedical Science