title: Effects of unilateral electromyostimulation superimposed on voluntary training on strength and cross-sectional area.
abstract: In this study we investigate the effects of unilateral voluntary contraction (VC) and electromyostimulation superimposed on VC (EV) training on maximal voluntary (MVC) force and cross-sectional area (CSA), as assessed by magnetic resonance imaging of knee extensors. Thirty young men were randomly assigned to either a control group (CG), VC group (VG), or EV group (EVG). The VG and EVG trained the right leg isometrically three sessions per week for 6 weeks. After training, MVC increased in the right leg in the VG and in both legs in the EVG, and EVG was significantly different from CG (all P < 0.01). Increased CSA was found only in the right leg in the VG and EVG (P < 0.01), and correlated with improvements of MVC (r = 0.49, P = 0.01). It appeared that the EV training was equally effective as VC at increasing MVC and CSA, while having a greater cross-education effect. Increased strength without muscle hypertrophy in the unexercised leg of the EVG indicated that neural adaptation was responsible for the cross-education effect.
authors.affiliation: Department of Exercise Science, Southern Cross University, P.O. Box 157, Lismore, NSW 2480, Australia. j.bezerra.10@scu.edu.au
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bezerra
authors.forename: Shi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Zachary
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Crowley
authors.forename: Lyndon
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Brooks
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hooper
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D004576:Electromyography / Q000379:methods; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000379:methods; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007717:Knee / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000502:physiology*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology*; D005082:Physical Exertion; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D055815:Young Adult