Chronic Adaptations to Strength

Question 1

What is the difference between STR-Type RE and HYP-type RE?

Answer 1

STR-Type RE = high loads, low volume, low rest (central fatigue and neural adaptations)

HYP-Type RE = mod loads, high volume, short rest (peripheral fatigue and hypertrophic adaptations)

Question 2

How does our body adapt from strength training?

Answer 2

Body adapts to new stimuli - if fibres are not recruited then they are not trained
Recruit smaller STF fibres before larger FTF
Super-compensation curve commonly used (fatigue enables us to make adaptations)

Question 3

What are some of the different training methods in which we can follow?

Why is Isoinertial training good for strength?

Answer 3

Improvements in strength when completing Isoinertial, isokinetic and electrical stimulation training

Greater increase in isometric forces and improves functional performance

Question 4

What factors affect adaptations from occurring?

Answer 4

Programme design, Gender, Training History and Age

Question 5

What do strength and power adaptations both improve?

Answer 5

Jump and sprint performance

Power increases neural drive, force and RFD
Strength increases neural drive, RFD and thickness

Question 6

What is the typical time course for adaptations occur?

What is the relationship between neural changes and muscular changes?

Answer 6

Neural changes - <6-8 weeks
Muscular changes = 9-12 weeks

As muscular increase neural decreases

Question 7

What are the pros and cons of the research on adaptations?

Answer 7

Been criticised due to:
Techniques (EMG), types of training and test frequency

Literature against:
Shown to be muscular adaptations after 4 weeks and molecular pathways adapt after a few sessions

Question 8

What is the difference between hypertrophy and hyperplasia?

Answer 8

Hypertrophy => increase muscle size - increases in CSA and thickness (Type II preferential)

Hyperplasia => longitudinal splitting of fibres (generally occurs alongside hypertrophy)

Question 9

What is hypertrophy influenced by?

Answer 9

Training design, age, contraction type

Question 10

What is the stimuli for hypertrophy?

Answer 10

1) Tension and muscle damage
2) mTOR signalling
3) Training intensity
4) Muscle activation

Question 11

What is the affect of Blood Flow Restriction during resistance training?

At what loads is this actually beneficial?

Answer 11

Placement of a cuff around the proximal muscle - rush of metabolites passes through after taking it off to increase MU recruitment.

Only positive benefits come when doing low load resistance exercise

Question 12

What is sarcopenia?

What type of exercise can prevent/reduce this?

Why does this accelerate in the elderly?

Answer 12

Loss of muscle mass with ageing (75+ accelerates)

Resistance exercise is most effective way

MU restructuring and protein deficiency

Question 13

What are some other adaptations that occur (fibres)?

Answer 13

Reduction in Type IIx but increases in Type IIA and IIB fibres
Increased fascicle length and pennation angle

Question 14

What are some of the neural adaptations that take place?

Answer 14

Cross-Education = train one side and other will change

Imagined contractions = reinforce neural pathways and get stronger

Question 15

What is ultrasound techniques used for?

Answer 15

Measures thickness and muscle size (transverse)

Measures pennation and fascicle length (longitudinal)

Question 16

What does an increased neural drive result from?

Answer 16

Increasing MU recruitment/synchronisation

Increasing firing frequency

Question 17

What did Miller-Brown and Semler find on MU synchronisation?

Answer 17

Miller = MU synchro increased after 6 weeks of training

Semler = Synchro largest in weightlifters and smallest in pianists (random fire)

Question 18

How does improved coordination affect MU’s?

Answer 18

Reduces activation of antagonist muscles

Preferential recruitment of high-threshold MU’s

Question 19

Can we recruit faster MU’s preferentially?

Answer 19

Slow => progressive activation of MU’s to limit of recruitment at around 80-90% of MVC

Rapid => MU’s recruited at lower forces

Question 20

How does exercise selection affect MU activation?

Answer 20

Olympic Lifting = increased jump height

Traditional = increased coordination and stiffness

Question 21

Why are neural adaptations hard to quantify?

Answer 21

Found in spine or supra-spinal
These reduce coactivation of antagonists
Reflux potentiation

Question 22

How can you evoke a contraction and what effect does it have?

Answer 22

Electrical stimulation

Independent of central motor drive - measures the muscles capacity to peripheral fatigue

Question 23

What is the difference between the merten hand method and the interpolated twitch technique?

Answer 23

Merten –> stimulate yourself to elicit a twitch - measure the time and size of it and take away the influence of the CNS

Interpolated –> voluntary muscle actions - measure same technique and discover how much from involuntary muscles