The Science Behind Eccentric Exercise: How it Helps Prevent Injury and Increase Strength

The Science Behind Eccentric Exercise: How it Helps Prevent Injury and Increase Strength

Have you ever heard about eccentric exercise? If not, get ready to learn about this powerful fitness technique that can boost your strength and prevent injuries.

Eccentric exercise involves lengthening muscles while they’re contracting. Unlike concentric exercise, which involves shortening muscles, eccentric exercise emphasizes the lowering or lengthening phase of an exercise. For example, while doing a bicep curl, the lifting motion is a concentric contraction, while slowly lowering the dumbbell down is an eccentric contraction.

Now, let’s dive into the science behind eccentric exercise and how it can help you build muscle strength and prevent injuries.

Muscle Hypertrophy and Strength Gains:

When performing eccentric exercises, muscle fibers undergo greater stress than in concentric exercises, which leads to more significant hypertrophy. Hypertrophy is the process of muscle fibers becoming larger and stronger through repetitive and intense contractions. It means eccentric exercise can help you build more muscle and gain strength more quickly than concentric exercises.

Preventing Injuries:

Eccentric exercises have been proven to be a powerful tool in preventing injuries, particularly in athletes. Athletes such as runners who perform a lot of eccentric muscle contractions can be more susceptible to injuries like tendonitis. However, if they incorporate eccentric exercises, they can reduce the risk of these injuries.

When we perform eccentric exercises, we put our muscles under high tension while lengthening them. This high tension causes an increase in collagen production, which is an essential component of tendon and ligament health. This is the primary reason eccentric exercises can help athletes prevent injuries.

Examples of Eccentric Exercises:

Here are a few examples of eccentric exercises you can do:

1. Squats: Slowly lower your body down for 6-8 seconds instead of quickly bouncing up.

2. Walking Lunges: Instead of instantly coming up after going down, slowly step backward while lengthening your thigh muscles.

3. Pull-Ups: After lifting your body up, slowly lower yourself down for 6-8 seconds instead of instantly dropping down.

Conclusion:

As you can see, eccentric exercises are an incredibly effective way to not only increase your muscle strength and mass but also prevent possible injuries. Incorporating eccentric exercises into your workout routine can help you achieve your fitness goals more quickly than concentric exercises alone. So, try to start with the examples given above and be consistent with your workouts to see positive changes.