25/01/2023
In resistance training, eccentric muscle contractions have been shown to be more effective in stimulating muscle strength gains [59], lead to regional hypertrophy [47], and induce positive shifts in muscle architecture [47]. Although still incompletely understood, it appears that the coupling of muscular fibre lengthening and heightened mechanical loading associated with eccentric muscle actions may create unique conditions underpinning the molecular mechanisms regulating the myogenic adaptations observed [47]. The mechanisms of structural remodelling appear to be contraction-specific, whereby eccentric-only resistance training results in markedly greater increases in fascicle lengths [60,61,62]. In contrast, greater changes are observed in pennation angle following concentric-only resistance training [60,61,62]. This likely reflects the differential addition of serial sarcomeres following eccentric resistance training, which has notable implications for performance and injury prevention, due to a concurrent shift in the ‘optimum’ force–length and force–velocity relationships of the working musculature, which subsequently alter their function [63,64,65]. In the context of high-velocity eccentric contractions, the evidence regarding physiological adaptation is limited. Following 10 weeks of ‘fast’ (e.g., 240°/s) or ‘slow’ (90°/s) isokinetic knee extension training, fascicle lengths of the vastus lateralis increased by 14% in the ‘fast’ training group compared to no significant changes in the ‘slow’ group [66]. Additionally, in animal models (i.e., rats), increased in-series sarcomeres have been observed after downhill running (i.e., heightened eccentric component) in contrast to uphill running (i.e., greater concentric component). Thus, it has been suggested that movement velocity, as well as contraction type, may be important regulators in the remodelling of contractile material placed in series [67]. This adaptation may be considered as a ‘protective’ mechanism after eccentric-induced muscle damage by limiting fascicle lengthening [67]. Potentially, this increases the maximum shortening velocities of muscle fibres [65] as well as the maximal forces produced at longer muscle lengths