Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Flywheel resistance training calls for greater eccentric muscle activation than weight training

  • Original Article
  • Published:
European Journal of Applied Physiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Changes in muscle activation and performance were studied in healthy men in response to 5 weeks of resistance training with or without “eccentric overload”. Subjects, assigned to either weight stack (grp WS; n = 8) or iso-inertial “eccentric overload” flywheel (grp FW; n = 9) knee extensor resistance training, completed 12 sessions of four sets of seven concentric–eccentric actions. Pre- and post-measurements comprised maximal voluntary contraction (MVC), rate of force development (RFD) and training mode-specific force. Root mean square electromyographic (EMGRMS) activity of mm. vastus lateralis and medialis was assessed during MVC and used to normalize EMGRMS for training mode-specific concentric (EMGCON) and eccentric (EMGECC) actions at 90°, 120° and 150° knee joint angles. Grp FW showed greater (p < 0.05) overall normalized angle-specific EMGECC of vastii muscles compared with grp WS. Grp FW showed near maximal normalized EMGCON both pre- and post-training. EMGCON for Grp WS was near maximal only post-training. While RFD was unchanged following training (p > 0.05), MVC and training-specific strength increased (p < 0.05) in both groups. We believe the higher EMGECC activity noted with FW exercise compared to standard weight lifting could be attributed to its unique iso-inertial loading features. Hence, the resulting greater mechanical stress may explain the robust muscle hypertrophy reported earlier in response to flywheel resistance training.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aagaard P, Simonsen EB, Andersen JL, Magnusson SP, Halkjaer-Kristensen J, Dyhre-Poulsen P (2000) Neural inhibition during maximal eccentric and concentric quadriceps contraction: effects of resistance training. J Appl Physiol 89:2249–2257

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Aagaard P, Simonsen EB, Andersen JL, Magnusson P, Dyhre-Poulsen P (2002) Increased rate of force development and neural drive of human skeletal muscle following resistance training. J Appl Physiol 93:1318–1326

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Adams GR, Duvoisin MR, Dudley GA (1992) Magnetic resonance imaging and electromyography as indexes of muscle function. J Appl Physiol 73:1578–1583

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Andersen LL, Magnusson SP, Nielsen M, Haleem J, Poulsen K, Aagaard P (2006) Neuromuscular activation in conventional therapeutic exercises and heavy resistance exercises: implications for rehabilitation. Phys Ther 86:683–697

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Asmussen E (1953) Positive and negative muscular work. Acta Physiol Scand 28:364–382

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Berg HE, Tesch A (1994) A gravity-independent ergometer to be used for resistance training in space. Aviat Space Environ Med 65:752–756

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cracraft JD, Petajan JH (1977) Effect of muscle training on the pattern of firing of single motor units. Am J Phys Med 56:183–194

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Duchateau J, Semmler JG, Enoka RM (2006) Training adaptations in the behavior of human motor units. J Appl Physiol 101:1766–1775

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dudley GA, Tesch PA, Harris RT, Golden CL, Buchanan P (1991) Influence of eccentric actions on the metabolic cost of resistance exercise. Aviat Space Environ Med 62:678–682

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Farina D, Pozzo M, Merlo E, Bottin A, Merletti R (2004) Assessment of average muscle fiber conduction velocity from surface EMG signals during fatiguing dynamic contractions. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng 51:1383–1393

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Friden J, Sjostrom M, Ekblom B (1983) Myofibrillar damage following intense eccentric exercise in man. Int J Sports Med 4:170–176

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hakkinen K, Komi PV (1983) Electromyographic changes during strength training and detraining. Med Sci Sports Exerc 15:455–460

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hakkinen K, Kallinen M, Izquierdo M, Jokelainen K, Lassila H, Malkia E, Kraemer WJ, Newton RU, Alen M (1998) Changes in agonist–antagonist EMG, muscle CSA, and force during strength training in middle-aged and older people. J Appl Physiol 84:1341–1349

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hather BM, Tesch PA, Buchanan P, Dudley GA (1991) Influence of eccentric actions on skeletal muscle adaptations to resistance training. Acta Physiol Scand 143:177–185

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Higbie EJ, Cureton KJ, Warren GL 3rd, Prior BM (1996) Effects of concentric and eccentric training on muscle strength, cross-sectional area, and neural activation. J Appl Physiol 81:2173–2181

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hortobagyi T, Hill JP, Houmard JA, Fraser DD, Lambert NJ, Israel RG (1996) Adaptive responses to muscle lengthening and shortening in humans. J Appl Physiol 80:765–772

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jones DA, Rutherford OM (1987) Human muscle strength training: the effects of three different regimens and the nature of the resultant changes. J Physiol (Lond) 391:1–11

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Katz B (1939) The relation between force and speed in muscular contraction. J Physiol (Lond) 96:45–64

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Komi PV, Bosco C (1978) Utilization of stored elastic energy in leg extensor muscles by men and women. Med Sci Sports 10:261–265

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Komi PV, Buskirk ER (1972) Effect of eccentric and concentric muscle conditioning on tension and electrical activity of human muscle. Ergonomics 15:417–434

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Luthi JM, Howald H, Claassen H, Rosler K, Vock P, Hoppeler H (1986) Structural changes in skeletal muscle tissue with heavy-resistance exercise. Int J Sports Med 7:123–127

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Matheson JW, Kernozek TW, Fater DC, Davies GJ (2001) Electromyographic activity and applied load during seated quadriceps exercises. Med Sci Sports Exerc 33:1713–1725

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Milner-Brown HS, Stein RB, Lee RG (1975) Synchronization of human motor units: possible roles of exercise and supraspinal reflexes. Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol 38:245–254

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Moore DR, Phillips SM, Babraj JA, Smith K, Rennie MJ (2005) Myofibrillar and collagen protein synthesis in human skeletal muscle in young men after maximal shortening and lengthening contractions. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 288:E1153–E1159

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Moritani T, deVries HA (1979) Neural factors versus hypertrophy in the time course of muscle strength gain. Am J Phys Med 58:115–130

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Moritani T, Muramatsu S, Muro M (1987) Activity of motor units during concentric and eccentric contractions. Am J Phys Med 66:338–350

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nardone A, Romano C, Schieppati M (1989) Selective recruitment of high-threshold human motor units during voluntary isotonic lengthening of active muscles. J Physiol (Lond) 409:451–471

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Narici MV, Hoppeler H, Kayser B, Landoni L, Claassen H, Gavardi C, Conti M, Cerretelli P (1996) Human quadriceps cross-sectional area, torque and neural activation during 6 months strength training. Acta Physiol Scand 157:175–186

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Newham DJ, McPhail G, Mills KR, Edwards RH (1983) Ultrastructural changes after concentric and eccentric contractions of human muscle. J Neurol Sci 61:109–122

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Norrbrand L, Fluckey JD, Pozzo M, Tesch PA (2008) Resistance training using eccentric overload induces early adaptations in skeletal muscle size. Eur J Appl Physiol 102:271–281

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pincivero DM, Gandhi V, Timmons MK, Coelho AJ (2006) Quadriceps femoris electromyogram during concentric, isometric and eccentric phases of fatiguing dynamic knee extensions. J Biomech 39:246–254

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pincivero DM, Coelho AJ, Campy RM (2008) Contraction mode shift in quadriceps femoris muscle activation during dynamic knee extensor exercise with increasing loads. J Biomech 41:3127–3132

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ploutz LL, Tesch PA, Biro RL, Dudley GA (1994) Effect of resistance training on muscle use during exercise. J Appl Physiol 76:1675–1681

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pozzo M, Merlo E, Farina D, Antonutto G, Merletti R, Di Prampero PE (2004) Muscle-fiber conduction velocity estimated from surface EMG signals during explosive dynamic contractions. Muscle Nerve 29:823–833

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rutherford OM, Jones DA (1986) The role of learning and coordination in strength training. Eur J Appl Physiol 55:100–105

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sahaly R, Vandewalle H, Driss T, Monod H (2003) Surface electromyograms of agonist and antagonist muscles during force development of maximal isometric exercises––effects of instruction. Eur J Appl Physiol 89:79–84

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Seynnes OR, de Boer M, Narici MV (2007) Early skeletal muscle hypertrophy and architectural changes in response to high-intensity resistance training. J Appl Physiol 102:368–373

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tesch PA, Ekberg A, Lindquist DM, Trieschmann JT (2004) Muscle hypertrophy following 5-week resistance training using a non-gravity-dependent exercise system. Acta Physiol Scand 180:89–98

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Toigo M, Boutellier U (2006) New fundamental resistance exercise determinants of molecular and cellular muscle adaptations. Eur J Appl Physiol 97:643–663

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wilk KE, Escamilla RF, Fleisig GS, Barrentine SW, Andrews JR, Boyd ML (1996) A comparison of tibiofemoral joint forces and electromyographic activity during open and closed kinetic chain exercises. Am J Sports Med 24:518–527

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wong TS, Booth FW (1990a) Protein metabolism in rat gastrocnemius muscle after stimulated chronic concentric exercise. J Appl Physiol 69:1709–1717

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wong TS, Booth FW (1990b) Protein metabolism in rat tibialis anterior muscle after stimulated chronic eccentric exercise. J Appl Physiol 69:1718–1724

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We thank all the subjects who participated in this study. This study was funded by the Swedish Winter Sports Research Centre, Mid Sweden University, Östersund, the Swedish National Centre for Research in Sports (CIF), and the Swedish National Space Board (SNSB).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health Sciences, Mid Sweden University, 831 25, Östersund, Sweden

    Lena Norrbrand & Per A. Tesch

  2. Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden

    Lena Norrbrand, Marco Pozzo & Per A. Tesch

  3. Clinical Physiology (C1:82), Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, 141 86, Stockholm, Sweden

    Lena Norrbrand

Authors
  1. Lena Norrbrand
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Marco Pozzo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Per A. Tesch
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lena Norrbrand.

Additional information

Communicated by Arnold de Haan.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Norrbrand, L., Pozzo, M. & Tesch, P.A. Flywheel resistance training calls for greater eccentric muscle activation than weight training. Eur J Appl Physiol 110, 997–1005 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-010-1575-7

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-010-1575-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation