Characteristics of Concentric and Eccentric Muscle Contraction

-Analyzed from Muscle Oxygenation Changes-

Abstract

[Purpose] We examined the characteristic of muscle contraction in concentric contraction (COC) and eccentric contraction (ECC) by muscle oxygenation change. [Subjects] The subjects were 16 healthy males. [Methods] Oxygenation change of the vastus lateralis was measured using a near-infrared spectroscopy device, when subjects performed COC and ECC knee joint exercise using an isokinetic machine. We calculated the decrease in the value of oxygen saturation (SdO₂), lapse time to the trough of SdO₂ and recovery time of SdO₂ from the data. Next, we compared COC with ECC. [Results] The muscle strength in ECC was higher than in COC. A significant difference was not observed in the decrease of SdO₂. In ECC, lapse time to the trough of SdO₂ was longer and the recovery time was shorter than in COC. [Conclusion] There was a greater total work load in ECC, but muscle oxygenation deteriorated more slowly. It seems that ECC has high mechanical efficiency, and that muscle blood flow is maintained.