Eccentric cycling emphasising a low cardiopulmonary demand increases leg strength equivalent to workload matched concentric cycling in middle age sedentary males

• Published in: Journal of science and medicine in sport 2018-12, Vol.21 (12), p.1238-1243
• Main Authors: Lewis, Michael C., Peoples, Gregory E., Groeller, Herbert, Brown, Marc A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Bicycling - physiology; Blood pressure; Eccentric endurance cycling; Exercise; Heart rate; Humans; Investigations; Load; Male; Medical supplies; Metabolism; Middle age; Middle Aged; Muscle contraction; Muscle function; Muscle Strength; Oxygen Consumption; Physical Endurance; Physical fitness; Quadriceps Muscle - physiology; Sedentary; Sedentary behavior; Strength; Torque; Variance analysis; Workload; Workloads
• ISSN: 1440-2440; 1878-1861
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jsams.2018.05.009

This study determined if eccentric endurance cycling, eliciting a low cardiovascular demand, could stimulate muscle strength adaptations in sedentary middle-aged males. Twenty-four middle-aged sedentary males were allocated to concentric (CON) or matched workload eccentric (ECC) cycling (60% peak concentric workload) according to their maximal voluntary isometric quadriceps strength. Seventeen participants [42.7±8.3 years, BMI 28.6±5.2, peak oxygen consumption [30.5±5.8mLkg−1min−1] completed 8 weeks (2 sessions per week) of CON (n=8) or ECC (n=9) cycle training. Incline leg press (6RM), maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) torque of the quadriceps and peak oxygen consumption were measured at baseline and 8 weeks. Eccentric cycle training resulted in low cardiovascular demand (CON 154±2; ECC 95±3bmin−1P