Responses to eccentric and concentric resistance training in females and males

TLDR

Twelve weeks of accommodated resistance training involved 4–5 sets of six maximal concentric–eccentric quadriceps actions at 1.05 rad s⁻¹, three times weekly, with pre‑ and post‑training measurements of uni‑ and bilateral peak torque at 0.52, 1.57, and 2.62 rad s⁻¹, 3RM half‑squat, and vertical jump height in 11 females and 11 males. Both sexes showed significant increases in concentric and eccentric peak torque at all speeds, with similar relative gains (≈26–36 %) and comparable improvements in 3RM half‑squat (≈20–25 %) and vertical jump height (≈8–10 %), indicating that short‑term accommodated resistance training elicits sex‑independent strength gains, though males exhibited a greater shift in the torque‑velocity relationship toward slow‑speed, high‑force performance.

Abstract

The adaptive responses to 12 weeks of accommodated resistance training were compared in females ( n = 11) and males ( n = 11). They performed four to five sets of six maximum bilateral coupled concentric and eccentric quadriceps muscle actions at 1.05 rad s ‐1 three times per week. Uni‐ and bilateral concentric and eccentric peak torque at different angular velocities (0.52, 1.57 and 2.62 rad s ‐1 ), three repetition maximum half‐squat and vertical jump height were measured before and after training. Both groups displayed marked increases ( P < 0.05) in concentric and eccentric peak torque at all angular velocities. The relative increases ( P < 0.05) in unilateral concentric (26 vs. 26%) and eccentric (28 vs. 36%) peak torque across speeds were similar in females and males. The corresponding increases ( P < 0.05) in bilateral concentric and eccentric peak torque across speeds were 20 vs. 28% and 24 vs. 39% respectively. The three repetition maximum half‐squat (20 vs. 25%) and vertical jump height (10 vs. 8%) increased ( P < 0.05) equally in females and males. These results suggest that the overall increases in concentric and eccentric peak torque and functional strength, in response to short‐term accommodated resistance training, occur at a rate that is independent of sex. The torque‐velocity relationship, however, appears to change in males suggesting a relatively greater enhancement of maximum voluntary force in the slow‐speed, high‐force region.