Abstract
We investigated the effects of strength training a muscle fiber conduction velocity in biceps brachii of 7 male students. The subjects were trained to exhaustion by 60% of maximum isotonic voluntary contraction with 3 sets/day, 3 days/week for 16 weeks. The muscle fiber conduction velocity was measured with a surface electorode array placed along the muscle fibers, and calculated from the time delay between 2 myoelectric signals recorded during a maximal voluntary contraction. Upper arm girth significantly increased (p<0.01), from 29.2±1.4 cm (means±S. D.) to 30.6±1.5 cm. On the other hand, training induced no significant changes in upper arm skinfold. A significant difference between pre- and post-training was found in maximum isotonic strength (p<0.01) . Although maximum isometric strength showed no significant changes with training, there was a tendency for an increase in maximum isometric strength. Muscle fiber conduction velocity increased by 3.5% during training period, but this was not significant. These results suggest no effects of strength training on muscle fiber conduction velocity.
