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Effects of unilateral electromyostimulation superimposed on voluntary training on strength and cross‐sectional area
Author(s) -
Bezerra Pedro,
Zhou Shi,
Crowley Zachary,
Brooks Lyndon,
Hooper Andrew
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
muscle and nerve
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.025
H-Index - 145
eISSN - 1097-4598
pISSN - 0148-639X
DOI - 10.1002/mus.21329
Subject(s) - medicine , magnetic resonance imaging , physical therapy , muscle strength , physical medicine and rehabilitation , radiology
In this study we investigate the effects of unilateral voluntary contraction (VC) and electromyostimulation superimposed on VC (EV) training on maximal voluntary (MVC) force and cross‐sectional area (CSA), as assessed by magnetic resonance imaging of knee extensors. Thirty young men were randomly assigned to either a control group (CG), VC group (VG), or EV group (EVG). The VG and EVG trained the right leg isometrically three sessions per week for 6 weeks. After training, MVC increased in the right leg in the VG and in both legs in the EVG, and EVG was significantly different from CG (all P < 0.01). Increased CSA was found only in the right leg in the VG and EVG ( P < 0.01), and correlated with improvements of MVC ( r = 0.49, P = 0.01). It appeared that the EV training was equally effective as VC at increasing MVC and CSA, while having a greater cross‐education effect. Increased strength without muscle hypertrophy in the unexercised leg of the EVG indicated that neural adaptation was responsible for the cross‐education effect. Muscle Nerve 40: 430–437, 2009