This investigation was designed to determine the effects of astaxanthin on markers of skeletal muscle injury. Twenty resistance trained men (mean +/- standard error of the mean : age , 25.1 +/- 1.6 y; height, 1.79 +/- 0.02 m; weight, 86.8 +/- 4.4 kg) were assigned to either a placebo (1732 mg safflower oil, n =10) or astaxanthin (BioAstin; 1732 mg safflower oil; haematococcus algae extract [con...

INTRODUCTION Tendon dynamics influence movement performance and provide the stimulus for long-term tendon adaptation. As tendon strain increases with load magnitude and decreases with loading rate, changes in movement speed during exercise should influence tendon strain. METHODS Ten resistance-trained men [squat one repetition maximum (1RM) to body mass ratio: 1.65 ± 0.12] performed parallel-...

The present study investigated the longitudinal growth of the vastus lateralis muscle using four eccentric exercise protocols with different mechanical stimuli by modifying the load magnitude, lengthening velocity and muscle length at which the load was applied. Thirty-one participants voluntarily participated in this study in two experimental and one control group. The first experimental group...

OBJECTIVE To prospectively investigate tendon thickness and tendon structure by ultrasonography in patients treated with eccentric calf muscle training for painful chronic Achilles tendinosis located at the 2-6 cm level in the tendon. METHODS The patients were examined with grey scale ultrasonography before and 3.8 years (mean) after the 12 week eccentric training regimen. At follow up, a que...

OCCASIONALLY, it takes time for a great scientific discovery to penetrate clinical practice. Bernhard Katz and Archibald Vivian Hill reported over 60 years ago that force steeply rises when skeletal muscle is lengthened at increasing velocities (eccentric contractions), whereas force sharply declines when skeletal muscle is shortened at increasing velocities (concentric contractions) (1,2), res...