Does Early Eccentric Exercise Make You Stronger Faster?
Introduction:
We are evaluating the effect of introducing eccentric exercise early in the physiotherapy program for muscle that is weak and wasted. Eccentric exercise is lowering a weight, lowering your leg or walking downhill - the opposite, concentric exercise, is lifting a weight or walking uphill. We believe that eccentric exercise will result in faster strength gains and less muscle soreness. We conducted an earlier study where we observed that those patients who participated in an eccentric exercise program early in their treatment program had greater strength gains than those in the concentric group.
Project Methodology:
Four patients with a lower leg injury who will be non weight-bearing for 6 weeks are being recruited to the study. The muscle we are studying is the thigh muscle of the affected leg because it becomes weak and wasted when there is no weight-bearing. We will test the patients while they are non weight-bearing and while they are participating in a physiotherapy exercise program. In the first 6 weeks of their physiotherapy we will introduce an eccentric exercise program (where the patients will lower a weight versus lifting the weight). We will compare their exercise responses to their responses in the non weight-bearing stage.
Participant Recruitment:
We are recruiting patients who have a lower leg fracture or a tear of their achilles tendon and who are seen by the Orthopaedic trauma surgeons in the Fracture Clinic at Vancouver Hospital. The study is being conducted in the physiotherapy department of Vancouver Hospital and in the Rehabilitation Research Lab at GF Strong Rehab Centre.
Impact For People With Arthritis:
The knowledge from our study will have impact for people with arthritis as they lose muscle strength and muscle size because of their arthritis. In the long-term we hope to understand how to best counteract or reduce this loss of muscle strength and muscle size. Doing so will help people with arthritis remain strong and mobile
Research Results:
In our previous study we found that patients recovered their strength to lift their leg (concentric activity of the muscle) faster than lowering their leg (eccentric activity). This is important because research on eccentric activity of a muscle shows that this type of activity can increase the recovery of muscle strength the most. In this study we are introducing eccentric activity (lowering exercises) as early as possible to see if it results in faster recovery.
Time Frame:
September 2003-2004. The study is ongoing.
Funding Agency:
BC Medical Services Foundation
Project Team Members:
Principal Investigator
Donna MacIntyre PhD
Research Scientist, ARC (Retired)
Co-Investigators
Janice Eng
Darlene Redenbach
Other Institutions Involved
School of Rehabilitation Sciences
University of British Columbia
Vancouver, BC Canada
GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre
Vancouver, BC Canada
Vancouver Hospital & Health Sciences Centre
Vancouver, BC Canada