The newest sports medicine research reveals how eccentric cycling is exceptional to concentric biking. Credit: Associate Professor Ryoichi Ema of Shizuoka Sangyo University
Japanese scientist utilizes neuromuscular activation to examine the impact of biking on the rectus femoris muscle.
Cycling is a popular fitness activity worldwide. The physiological advantages of cycling are understood to many, its accurate impact on the rectus femoris muscle has remained evasive so far. A sports science scientist from Japan has now made a direct contrast in between concentric and eccentric cycling, and demonstrated the fairly higher effectiveness of eccentric biking, using neuromuscular activation as a crucial efficiency indication.
When you are curling the dumbbell towards you, you are contracting the bicep muscle, and this is a concentric activity. Returning the dumbbell to the original position needs your bicep to uncurl or go back to its typical length, making this an eccentric activity.
A sport science researcher from Japan has actually recently had the ability to demonstrate the unique neuromuscular activation of the rectus femoris muscle throughout concentric, or routine, biking, and eccentric cycling, where one resists the backward movement of the pedal instead of lowering by contracting the muscles. The outcomes of this study have been released in the Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology. This paper was made available online on January 30, 2022.
For the uninitiated, the rectus femoris is a long and fleshy muscle bulk that lies in the anterior compartment of the thigh. Its main function is to extend the leg at the knee joint and to facilitate the bending the hip joint. This muscle is vulnerable to damage, especially throughout extreme workout and sports or after a physical injury.
According to the author of the study Dr. Ryoichi Ema, Associate Professor at the Shizuoka Sangyo University in Japan, “The rectus femoris muscle is a crucial muscle for sport efficiency in professional athletes and physical efficiency in older grownups, suggesting that it should be specifically targeted for exercise-related activity.”
Dr. Ema used an ergometer to quantitatively estimate the involvement of different types of muscles. An ergometer is an unique device that measures the work or energy used up throughout a duration of workout. In an eccentric biking ergometer, the pedals automatically spin backward.
The scientist obtained the root mean square (RMS) of the surface area electromyographic (EMG) signals from the three kinds of muscles– distal and proximal regions of the rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, and biceps femoris. The EMG signal measures electrical currents produced during muscular contractions and is utilized to examine various kinds of neuromuscular activities.
Dr. Ema likewise made a quantitative comparison in between concentric and eccentric biking. Although previous studies recommend that eccentric workout produces less tiredness and is more efficient than concentric exercise (coming down a stairway is much easier than rising it), its precise effect on the rectus femoris muscle had actually not been accurately determined.
Dr. Ema muses, “Eccentric biking workout can be performed with less effort as compared to concentric cycling exercise, a popular workout. Higher neuromuscular activation of the recuts femoris muscle can be acquired throughout eccentric biking, thus recommending that eccentric biking workout is a great for enhancing the function of the rectus femoris muscle.”
The numbers speak for themselves: the experimental results plainly demonstrated that the RMS-EMG of the rectus femoris muscle was indeed higher throughout eccentric cycling than throughout concentric biking.
” Eccentric cycling workout would be useful for enhancing athletic performance and for improving the lifestyle in older grownups, and for preventing extreme damage resulting kind intense workout and sports. An eccentric biking ergometer is still not a routinely utilized exercise devices, it is expected to bring in considerable advantages, particularly throughout training and rehab,” notes Dr. Ema.
The pandemic has taught us an important lesson: that fitness is crucial for human survival. Additionally, if fitness gadgets can quantitatively identify and compare the neuromuscular function and therefore the efficiency of various muscle groups, then we should certainly make it an indicate include them into our day-to-day exercise regimen. Pleased cycling!
Recommendation: “Unique neuromuscular activation of the rectus femoris during concentric and eccentric cycling” by RyoichiEma, 30 January 2022, Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology.DOI: 10.1016/ j.jelekin.2022.102638.
This work was supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science KAKENHI grant JP19K20055.
About Shizuoka Sangyo University.
Shizuoka Sangyo University (SSU) is a personal university with schools in Shizuoka (Iwata and Fujieda). Because 2021, Faculty of Sport Science was begun.
About Associate Professor Ryoichi Ema.
Dr. Ryoichi Ema works as an Associate Professor at Shizuoka Sangyo University, Japan. He obtained his Ph.D. degree from Waseda University and pursued postdoctoral research as a Research Fellow of Japan Society for the Promotion of Science at the Shibaura Institute of Technology. Dr. Ema primarily carries out research in the area of biomechanics and exercise physiology and has over 35 peer-reviewed publications to his credit.
Cycling is a popular physical fitness activity worldwide. The physiological benefits of biking are understood to lots of, its accurate effect on the rectus femoris muscle has stayed evasive so far. A sports science scientist from Japan has actually now made a direct contrast between concentric and eccentric biking, and demonstrated the reasonably greater efficiency of eccentric cycling, utilizing neuromuscular activation as an essential performance indication.
A sport science researcher from Japan has recently been able to show the special neuromuscular activation of the rectus femoris muscle during concentric, or regular, biking, and eccentric biking, where one resists the backward movement of the pedal rather of pressing down by contracting the muscles. In an eccentric biking ergometer, the pedals immediately spin backwards.