Supertraining

--- In [EMAIL PROTECTED], "carruthersjam" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> --- In [EMAIL PROTECTED], "yzohar@" <yzohar@> wrote:
> >
> > I remember reading about trainees who could only train one arm or one leg 
> > due to injury experiencing a training effect on the untrained limb. For 
> > example a skier broke his right leg and could only train his left leg. But 
> > when the cast was removed there was less atrophy in his right leg than was 
> > expected.
> >
> > Is this effect a myth or is there substance to the story?
> >

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Additional information for your perusal:

SPECIFICITY OF MOVEMENT PATTERN

Siff, M C "Supertraining" 2000 Ch 1.4: p 28

Differences in movement pattern produce significantly different results,
although the muscle groups involved may be virtually the same. For instance,
training with elbow flexion in the standing position increases dynamic
strength considerably in this position, but only slightly in a supine
position. Training with barbell squats for 8 weeks increased 1 RM squatting
strength markedly, but caused a much smaller improvement in seated isometric
leg press (Thorstensson et al, 1976).

Sale and MacDougall (1981) concluded that increased performance is primarily
a result of improved neuromuscular skill and that increased strength is
apparent only when measured during the SAME type of movement used in
training. They also stressed that specificity of movement seems to apply
with equal validity to simple and complex skills.

Differences have also been measured between the effects of bilateral (e.g.
with a barbell) and unilateral (e.g. with dumbbells) training. The force
produced with bilateral contractions usually is less than the sum of the
forces produced individually by the left and right limbs (Coyle et al, 1981,
Vandervoort et al, 1984), a phenomenon known as the bilateral deficit. The
reduced force recorded in the bilateral case was accompanied by a reduced
integrated EMG, suggesting that the prime movers were less activated
(Vandervoort et al, 1984). This bilateral deficit is insignificant among
athletes such as weightlifters who always use their limbs simultaneously in
their sport. It is recommended that athletes in sports involving bilateral
action of the same muscle groups should train bilaterally to minimise
occurrence of the bilateral deficit (Secher, 1975).

Research indicates that the individual muscle responses depends on the
direction, magnitude, and combination of external moments, as well as on the
flexion angle of the knee joint (Andriacchi et al, 1984). Muscle response
seems to be influenced by certain intrinsic mechanical characteristics of the
knee joint that tend to change the moment arms of the muscles as the knee
moves. For example, the substantial changes in quadriceps EMG activity with
knee flexion with constant load, can be related to the movement of the
tibial-femoral contact changing the lever arm length of the quadriceps
mechanism. This indicates that the mechanics of the knee joint must be
considered in attempting to interpret or predict the load response of muscles
crossing the knee joint.

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Jamie Carruthers
Wakefield, UK