Effects of Unilateral Eccentric versus Concentric Training of Non-Immobilized Arm During Immobilization.

Abstract

The present study tested the hypothesis that eccentric training (ET) of non-immobilized arm would attenuate negative effects of immobilization and provide greater protective effects against muscle damage induced by eccentric exercise after immobilization, when compared with concentric training (CT). Sedentary young men were placed to ET, CT or control group (n = 12/group), and their non-dominant arms were immobilized for 3 weeks. During the immobilization period, ET and CT groups performed 5 sets of 6 dumbbell curl eccentric-only and concentric-only contractions, respectively at 20-80% of maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVCiso) strength over six sessions. MVCiso torque, root-mean square (RMS) of electromyographic activity during MVCiso, and bicep brachii muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) were measured before and after immobilization for both arms. All participants performed 30 eccentric contractions of the elbow flexors (30EC) by the immobilized arm after the cast was removed. Several indirect muscle damage markers were measured before, immediately after, and for 5 days following 30EC. ET increased MVCiso (17 ± 7%), RMS (24 ± 8%), and CSA (9 ± 2%) greater (P < 0.05) than CT (6 ± 4%, 9 ± 4%, 3 ± 2%) for the trained arm. The control group showed decreases in MVCiso (-17 ± 2%), RMS (-26 ± 6%), and CSA (-12 ± 3%) for the immobilized arm, but these changes were attenuated greater (P < 0.05) by ET (3 ± 3%, -0.1 ± 2%, 0.1 ± 0.3%) than CT (-4 ± 2%, -4 ± 2%, -1.3 ± 0.4%). Changes in all muscle damage markers after 30EC were smaller (P < 0.05) for the ET and CT than control, and ET than CT group (e.g., peak plasma creatine kinase activity, ET: 860 ± 688, CT: 2,390 ± 1104, control: 7,819 ± 4,011 IU/L). These results showed that ET of the non-immobilized arm was effective for eliminating the negative effects of immobilization and attenuating eccentric exercise-induced muscle damage after immobilization.