One of the best ways to get the most out of your workout is to be “eccentric.” You might think that running up a hill is better for you than jogging, or that climbing stairs puts more strain on your muscles than walking, but it’s actually the opposite. As silly as it sounds, this is the new science of eccentric exercise.
The name comes from the fact that contracting muscles (to climb stairs or lift weights) is called “concentric exercise”, but these muscles are stretched and stretched. Exercises performed while you are on the move (such as walking down stairs or lowering weights) are known as ‘eccentric exercises’ (pronounced ‘ee-centric’).
Tony Kay is Professor of Biomechanics at the University of Northampton. He explains that all forms of exercise cause microscopic damage to muscles. This stimulates the release of hormones and encourages the cells to rebuild stronger muscles than before. increase.
The eccentric part of the exercise (when you drop the weight or sink into a squat) collects less fiber, but you do it with up to four times the load. This causes much greater microscopic damage to these cells and fibers, Kay says.
“More damage means your body burns more calories in the post-exercise repair and recovery process,” he says. “This increases your metabolic rate and increases strength in a much more effective way than traditional exercise.”
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In one study, volunteers were randomly assigned to climb up and down the stairs of a 10-story building twice a week and to ride the elevator in the opposite direction. Both groups showed improvements in health, but the group that walked down stairs had greater improvement in resting heart rate (a reliable overall measure of fitness) than climbing stairs. . There was also significant improvement in insulin sensitivity and blood fat levels.
Additionally, the group that walked down showed greater improvements in muscle function and bone density than the group that walked up. Improved. That’s twice as much for the group that had to climb the stairs each time.
Additionally, the walking group showed greater improvement in balance tests and reduced risk of falls and injuries.
Another study comparing older people doing traditional exercise with those doing eccentric exercise found that leg strength increased by 38% in the eccentric group compared to those who did conventional exercise. There was only an 8% improvement in the group.
Other studies have shown a 30–50% increase in strength and a 10% increase in muscle mass in eccentric exercise in young, healthy male soccer players (who showed a dramatic increase in strength) and those over 65 years of age. Advantages are shown. A lot in just 6 weeks). “The effects are much greater than would be expected from regular exercise,” concludes Kaye.
This is very impressive and completely counter-intuitive. And it turns out that any exercise that requires you to stretch your muscles under resistance, whether it’s running downhill or slowly lowering your body into a squat or push-up, has the same beneficial effects.
The way it works is that the muscles in your legs and arms lengthen as you descend, slowing the pace of your descent. Similarly, when you drop a series of weights, your muscles are stretched and have to work harder to protect your body from injury.
Kay points out that both yoga and Pilates feature poses that require slow lowering of the body, thereby causing eccentric contractions and “increasing flexibility, muscle mass, bone density, and strength.” doing.
Done right, eccentric exercise not only keeps you in shape, but it also helps your body burn calories afterward. This could be the metabolic secret you’ve been hiding in your workout all along!
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