Exercise-induced skeletal muscle damage and adaptation following repeated bouts of eccentric muscle contractions

S. J. Brown, R. B. Child, S. H. Day, A. E. Donnelly

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Repeated bouts of eccentric muscle contractions were used to examine indirect indices of exercise-induced muscle damage and adaptation in human skeletal muscle. Twenty-four subjects (18 females, 6 males) aged 20.0-1.4 years (mean-S.D.) performed an initial bout of either 10 (n = 7), 30 (n = 9) or 50 (n = 8) maximum voluntary eccentric contractions of the knee extensors, followed by a second bout of 50 contractions 3 weeks later using the same leg. Muscle soreness was elevated after all bouts (P < 0.05, Wilcoxon test), although the initial bout reduced the soreness associated with the second bout. Force loss and a decline in the 20:100 Hz percutaneous electrical myo stimulation force ratio were observed after all exercise bouts (P < 0.01). Serum creatine kinase activity was elevated following the initial bouts of 30 and 50 repetitions (P < 0.01), but there was no increase following 10 repetitions. No increase in serum creatinekinase activity was observed in any group following the second bout of contractions (P > 0.05). We conclude that skeletal muscle adaptation can be brought about by a single bout of relatively few eccentric muscle contractions. Increasing the number of eccentric muscle repetitions did not result in an increased prophylactic effect on skeletal muscle.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)215-222
Number of pages8
JournalJournal of Sports Sciences
Volume15
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1997
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Creatine kinase
  • Eccentric exercise
  • Muscle damage

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