Be SPECIFIC with your training
MUSCLE CONTRACTIONS have various effects on the body. These effects determine which exercises are used to CONDITION you and your body for different sports or to TREAT different conditions.
Exercise is fun, but there is usually many other reasons you do it for. The ACSM states exercise is specifically done to improve certain components of your fitness state. So whether you are a triathlete, an obese individual, cancer survivor or even a granddad it would be rather useful for you to know what exercise you are doing and its effect on your body as well as the benefits you will gain from your training… So here it is – some things you should know and and keep in mind while exploring your exercise journey.
There are 3 types of Muscle contractions:
CONCENTRIC – Muscle activation that causes tension on your muscle as it shortens. As your muscle shortens, it generates enough force to move an object. This type of movement is one of the main ways to strengthen your muscle and encourage hypertrophy — an increase in your muscle size.
ECCENTRIC – The muscle lengthens as the resistance becomes greater than the force the muscle is producing.
ISOMETRIC – The muscle is activated, but instead of being allowed to lengthen or shorten, it is held at a constant length.
Each action has a DIFFERENT EFFECTS
1) Shortening actions are useful for GENERATING force, DEVELOPING power or strength, and more mitochondria are developed (the power plants of each cell in our body).
2) Lengthening actions makes the muscles ABSORB force, growing muscle fiber thicker, tearing up connective tissues to make muscles more curvy. This is very improtant in injury prevention as well as in power demanding activities like jumping, bounding or even just standing up from a chair.
3) Isometric/static contractions are extremely interesting. They increase the muscle strength in a static position but also have a painkiller effect (this is called exercise induced Hypo-Algaesia, which can defined as a raised threshold to painful stimuli). These contractions seem to have a rest function. The nervous systems turns muscles off during pain – this process is called Inhibition, which is important in keeping the body from damaging itself.
Static exercise works the nervous system in a different way to the other contractions. The muscle nerves do fatigue whiling holding an exercise/position. You will eventually deplete a chemical called AcetylCholine De-Esterase and after a few workouts your body is forced to get fitter and generate more capacity.
