Adarq.org

Neuromuscular and hormonal responses in elite athletes to two successive strength training sessions in one day

Summary  Acute neuromuscular and endocrine adaptations to weight-lifting were investigated during two successive high intensity training sessions in the same day. Both the morning (I) (from 9.00 to 11.00 hours) and the afternoon (II) (from 15.00 hours to 17.00 hours) training sessions resulted in decreases in maximal isometric strength (p<0.01 and <0.05), shifts (worsening) in the force-time curve in the absolute scale (p<0.05 and ns.) and in decreases in the maximal integrated EMG (p<0.01 and <0.05) of the selected leg extensor muscles. Increases in serum total (p<0.05) and free testosterone (p<0.01) and in cortisol (p<0.01) concentrations were found during training session II. These were followed by decreases (p<0.001 andp<0.01 and ns.) in the levels of these hormones one hour after the termination of the session. The responses during the morning training session were different with regard to the decreases in serum total testosterone (p<0.05), free testosterone (ns.) and cortisol (p<0.05). Only slight changes were observed in the levels of luteinizing hormone and sex hormone-binding globulin during the training sessions. Increases (p<0.01) took place in somatotropin during both training sessions. The present findings suggest that high intensity strengthening exercises may result in acute adaptive responses in both the neuromuscular and endocrine systems. The diurnal variations may, however, partly mask the exercise-induced acute endocrinological adaptations in the morning. Recording of muscle activation and muscle strength and analysis of certain serum hormone concentrations with sufficient frequency during the training process may be useful in optimizing and controlling the contents of individual training sessions and the full training program.




1988
Neuromuscular and hormonal adaptations in athletes to strength training in two years

Neuromuscular and hormonal adaptations to prolonged strength training were investigated in nine elite weight lifters. The average increases occurred over the 2-yr follow-up period in the maximal neural activation (integrated electromyogram, IEMG; 4.2%, P = NS), maximal isometric leg-extension force (4.9%, P = NS), averaged concentric power index (4.1%, P = NS), total weight-lifting result (2.8%, P less than 0.05), and total mean fiber area (5.9%, P = NS) of the vastus lateralis muscle, respectively. The training period resulted in increases in the concentrations of serum testosterone from 19.8 +/- 5.3 to 25.1 +/- 5.2 nmol/l (P less than 0.05), luteinizing hormone (LH) from 8.6 +/- 0.8 to 9.1 +/- 0.8 U/l (P less than 0.05), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) from 4.2 +/- 2.0 to 5.3 +/- 2.3 U/l (P less than 0.01), and testosterone-to-serum sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) ratio (P less than 0.05). The annual mean value of the second follow-up year for the serum testosterone-to-SHBG ratio correlated significantly (r = 0.84, P less than 0.01) with the individual changes during the 2nd yr in the averaged concentric power. The present results suggest that prolonged intensive strength training in elite athletes may influence the pituitary and possibly hypothalamic levels, leading to increased serum levels of testosterone. This may create more optimal conditions to utilize more intensive training leading to increased strength development.





Upper body training and the triceps brachii muscle of elite cross country skiers.

Original Article
Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports. 16(2):121-126, April 2006.
Terzis, G. 1; Stattin, B. 2; Holmberg, H-C. 3

Abstract:
This study aimed at evaluating whether addition of extensive upper body training in well-trained cross country skiers induces an adaptation of the triceps brachii (TB) muscle and whether this affects performance. Muscle biopsies were obtained from TB muscle in six male elite cross country skiers before and after 20 weeks of increased upper body training. The cross-sectional area of type I and IIA fibers increased by 11.3% and 24.0%, respectively, and so did the number of capillaries per fiber (2.3-3.2) (all P<0.05). SDS-polyacrylamide electrophoresis revealed in single fibers that the number of fibers expressing myosin heavy chain (MHC) type I isoform decreased from 68.7% to 60.9% (P<0.05), MHC I/IIA isoform was unaltered, while MHC IIA fibers increased from 21.6% to 35.7% and the 4.8% MHC IIA/IIX disappeared with the training (both P<0.05). Citrate synthase and 3-hydroxyacyl coenzyme A dehydrogenase activities increased by 23.3% and 15.4%, respectively, and double poling 10 km time-trial by 10.4% (all P<0.05). The values for TB are similar to what has been demonstrated for leg muscles after exercise training. The subjects who demonstrated the largest improvement in performance exhibited the largest muscle adaptation, which, in turn, was related to the pre-maximal oxygen uptake.






EXPLOSIVE EXERCISES IN SPORTS TRAINING: A
CRITICAL REVIEW

Bruce-Low S, Smith D. Explosive Exercises In Sports Training: A
critical Review. JEPonline 2007;10(1):21-33. This paper reviews
evidence relating to the effectiveness and safety of explosive exercises,
such as Olympic style weight lifting, other weight training exercises
performed at a fast cadence, and plyometric exercises, that are
commonly used in the strength and conditioning training of athletes.
Contrary to popular belief and the practices of many athletes, the peer-
reviewed evidence does not support the view that such exercises are
more effective than traditional, slow and heavy weight training in
enhancing muscle power and athletic performance. In fact, such
exercises do not appear to be any more effective in this regard than
weight training at a relatively slow cadence, and some evidence
suggests they are less so. Also, such explosive exercises do not transfer
well (if at all) to athletic performance on the sports field, and present a
significant injury risk. Therefore, such exercises should not be
recommended in the strength and conditioning training of athletes,
except those who need to learn the specific skill of lifting heavy weights
fast, such as Olympic lifters and strongmen

small questionnaire:

1. Are you a morning or evening person (generally)?

Evening



2. What time do you sleep/wake on average?

In general, i go to sleep at 3am and wake at 11am... If i had absolutely no obligations, that's how I would normally sleep and wake.



3. List the times of day at which you train, label them endurance or power.

Early afternoon - Starting around 12-1pm : Power - dunks and bball dribbling.

Late evening - Starting around 9pm or 10pm : Power - intense training such as squatting etc



When i boxed:

Late evening - Starting around 11am or 12am : Road work/shadow boxing.



4. If you'd rather train at a different time, list the time here.

I'd rather do dunks in the evening, but it would effect my weight training etc.

I prefer training very late, i feel so good at this time. I think by training in the late evening, I am at my peak in power/strength related exercises.


5. any other info?

Electrical muscle stimulation is generally poorly understood with regards to how and when it should be applied and it's quite underrated too.

didn't know you implemented EMS.. and that's one hell of an avitar!



dan - ya those 30-45 minute warmups are typical of sprinters.. try to get the average trainee to warmup dynamically for 5 minutes, hardly ever happens.. i have too much ADD to warmup for 30 minutes, but i do see their effectiveness.. i keep mine to <15min.. mostly around 8-10.

peace

man this crap im doing has me in a state of incredible fatigue... i napped all day after the first time i did it.. and today is no different.

sleeping all day.. so lethargic.. completely wasted.

heh!

http://wannagetfast.com/articles.aspx?id=55

i think the most interesting thing about these results is the weekly running mileage..

the improvements in vert would come from enhanced motor patterns (using the muscle groups hes trying to get working properly).

drastically different than how i've improved my running vert etc.. using really heavy lifting as stim and taking advantage of the potentiation/supercompensation.

peace

I had a pair of them not long ago!!! I was going to get good at them and do a massive dunk for the TVS viewers choice dunk contest lol. They are sooooooooo hard to get good at though. It looks so easy when the guys do flips and stuff but when you put them on first you can't walk at all. I wanted to give up after like 5min lol. I could only just do smallish jumps like 20" before I sold them because I figured having 2 broken arms wouldn't be too good for my vert training. Dangerous as hell. If you fall its a long bloody way down!

damn..

ya i guess if i really had some i would be afraid to use them.. im afraid to do a back flip.. i would bet you cant be a pussy to use those.

would have been sick to see you dunk w/ those.

Here is another thought I just had about improving ankle stiffness. Vibration training. Currently I am doing a lot of it due to jumpers knee preventing me from doing just about everything and have been experimenting with split squats, split squats and regular squats on my toes, single leg 1/2 squats, lots of iso's etc. Certainly getting up on the toes on a vibration plate works the calves and ankles in a pretty thorough way. Anyway I thought I would throw it out there as another suggestion you might try in case the barbell ankle hops get a bit much on the joints and you need a break.

Cheers

Jack

where are you doing the vibration training? at a PT place? or do you own your own vibriflex (haha)?


i have been interested in vibration training before.. i've looked at alot of studies and I've found alot of negative results.. I have found some positive studies though.

personally, I do not think it has much of an effect.. i've seen people use it pre-workout though, and say it works.. but i don't know if that's just placebo.. i don't really think these athletes could possibly know if it worked or not, so i'm suspect.

i started a vibration training thread in Peer Review: http://www.pure-dedication.com/forum/index.php?topic=74.0

I posted some negative one's.. if you have any nice studies post them in there.. eventually I'll go find more.

the sprint study in that thread is interesting.. because that relates to our convo on vibration training & stiffness.. vibration training didn't have much of an effect with experienced athletes in that respect.

peace man