Abstract

This study investigated the effects of isokinetic concentric training on isokinetic concentric and eccentric torque outputs. Sixteen female subjects were randomly assigned to either a training or a control group. Concentric and eccentric torques of the right knee extensors were assessed at 1.05 rad/s using a KinCom isokinetic dynamometer system. Each test consisted of a set of four maximal concentric and four maximal eccentric contractions of the knee extensors. The peak and average torques for each contraction were calculated using the computer software supplied by the KinCom manufacturer. On a separate day, after abstaining from heavy exercise for at least 12 hours, a single cross-sectional image of the thigh at midfemur was obtained using computer tomography (CT) scanning. From this image, cross-sectional area of the quadriceps femoris group was calculated using the computer software associated with the General Electric 9800 CT Scanning System. Training group subjects trained three days weekly for six weeks on a Cybex II+ isokinetic dynamometer, completing five sets of ten maximal effort knee extensions at an angular velocity of 1.05 rad/s. Each set of exercise was separated by two minutes of self-selected recovery. Torque outputs were monitored daily to document changes in strength as the program progressed. The data suggest that under isokinetic conditions concentric training results in significant improvements in both concentric and eccentric torque outputs. Verf.-Referat