Adaptation of mechanical properties of muscle to high force training in man

• Published in: The Journal of physiology Vol. 365; no. 1; pp. 277 - 284
• Main Authors: Davies, C T, Dooley, P, McDonagh, M J, White, M J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford The Physiological Society 01-08-1985; Blackwell
• Subjects: Adaptation, Physiological; Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Biomechanical Phenomena; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hand - physiology; Humans; Isometric Contraction; Male; Muscle Contraction; Muscles - physiology; Space life sciences; Striated muscle. Tendons; Vertebrates: osteoarticular system, musculoskeletal system; Physical exercise; Human; Mechanical properties; Striated muscle; Hand; Dorsal interosseous muscle; Adaptation
• ISSN: 0022-3751; 1469-7793
• DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.1985.sp015771

The first dorsal interosseus muscle of the hand was trained for 8 weeks using eighty maximal 10 s voluntary isometric contractions
per day. As a result of this training the maximal voluntary force increased by 33%, but electrically evoked tetanic tension
increased by only 11%. In other subjects the muscle was trained using electrical stimulation at 60 Hz to evoke eighty maximal
10 s tetani per day for 8 weeks. This training produced no increase in maximum voluntary force. Our results show that the
increase in maximal voluntary force under these conditions may be due to a change in the voluntary neural drive to the muscle.