Nosaka, K., & Newton, M. (2002). Concentric or eccentric training effect on eccentric exercise-induced muscle damage. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 34, 63-69.

Ss (N = 15) performed three sets of 10 repetitions of eccentric training (ET) with one arm and concentric training (CT) with the other arm once a week for eight weeks. A dumbbell (50% maximum isometric force) was used with elbow flexor contractions. ET consisted of lowering the weight from a 50 degree angle to an extended arm angle of 180 degrees in three seconds. CT involved the reverse of that action.

The first ET session produced larger isometric force, range of movement, upper arm circumference, and muscle soreness, than did CT. Creatine kinase peaked four days after the first training session but did not increase any further with subsequent sessions. All measures changed significantly for and did not differ between both forms of contraction after the experiment.

Implication. Eccentric contraction training does not mitigate the magnitude of muscle damage any more than did concentric training, and concentric training did not increase the likelihood of muscle damage.

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