Abstract des Autors

In a comparative study in elbow flexors of both athletes accustomed to weight training and control groups and in isolated muscle fibres an attempt was made to clarify whether the force development under eccentric load and during posteccentric phase can be interpreted as an elementary property of single fibres. It could be shown that eccentrically and posteccentrically the single fibres as well as the muscles in situ developed enhanced muscle strength compared with the initial isometric level. The posteccentric time-course of the force obeys a similar exponential time law in both cases. The similarity of both findings as well as the fact that in spite of enhanced developed force, the posteccentric iEMG in athletes was not significantly different from that of the initial isometric state, permits the conclusion that the posteccentric potentiation in man must be primarily attributed to an elementary property of muscle fibres. Verf.-Referat