Abstract
Eccentric cycling, where the goal is to resist the pedals, which are driven by a motor,
increases muscle strength and size in untrained subjects. We hypothesized that it
could also be beneficial for athletes, particularly in alpine skiing, which involves
predominantly eccentric contractions at longer muscle lengths. We investigated the
effects of replacing part of regular weight training with eccentric cycling in junior
male alpine skiers using a matched-pair design. Control subjects (n=7) executed 1-h weight sessions 3 times per week, which included 4–5 sets of 4 leg
exercises. The eccentric group (n=8) performed only 3 sets, followed by continuous sessions on the eccentric ergometer
for the remaining 20 min. After 6 weeks, lean thigh mass increased significantly only
in the eccentric group. There was a group×time effect on squat-jump height favouring
the eccentric group, which also experienced a 6.5% improvement in countermovement-jump
height. The ability to finely modulate muscle force during variable eccentric cycling
improved 50% (p=0.004) only in the eccentric group. Although eccentric cycling did
not significantly enhance isometric leg strength, we believe it is beneficial for
alpine skiers because it provides an efficient means for hypertrophy while closely
mimicking the type of muscle actions encountered while skiing.
Key words
strength training - jump performance - hypertrophy
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Correspondence
Micah Gross
Universität Bern
Institut für Anatomie
Baltzerstraße 2, Bern 9
3000 Switzerland
Phone: +41/31/631 84 68
Fax: +41/31/631 38 07
Email: micah.gross@ana.unibe.ch