Eccentric Exercises Provide Great Health Benefits

As 2011 begins many are looking for ways to maintain their resolution of getting into shape. The January issue of the journal Medicines & Science in Sports and Exercise released a study by Vassilis Paschalis et al, will provide these individuals with useful information about getting in shape, staying that way, as well as a few secrets that will make the process easier and less time consuming.

The study found that eccentric exercise offers more advantages than concentric exercise. One 30 minute workout of eccentric exercises each week provides a number of health benefits quite similar to those the results achieved by 4 to 5 weekly 60 minute sessions of aerobic or strength training weekly exercise routines.

The Journal of Medicines & Science in Sports & Exercise Study

Twenty women were placed in groups and asked that they perform eccentric or concentric exercises once a week for eight weeks total. The researchers found that the eccentric exercise group decreased insulin resistance, increased their muscle strength, and had better overall blood lipid profiles. After two months, the ten women performing eccentric exercises increased the number of calories they burned by 5 percent. The improvements of made by the eccentric group far surpassed the concentric group.

The Results

The research study results were quite clear with regard to the ability of eccentric exercise to lower cholesterol and triglycerides levels while simultaneously increasing eccentric exercise participant’s resting energy expenditure or REE. Researchers of this particular study came to the conclusion that 30 minutes of eccentric exercise once a week offers exercisers comparable results, and can be appropriately substituted for 200 to 300 minutes of strength training or cardiovascular exercise.

What is the different between Concentric and Eccentric Exercise?

Concentric muscle action can be defined the shortening of a muscle to lift, versus an eccentric muscle action where the muscle lengthens to lower. As active human beings we get a combination of both types of muscle action on a daily basis.

What Are the Health Benefits of Eccentric Exercise?

According to the researchers’ findings, eccentric exercise is able to stimulate a specific and more localized molecular muscle recovery process. As a result of this targeted recovery process, the body requires much more resting energy to restore normal muscular function.

Past studies have exemplified by result that dedicating a portion of one’s traditional exercise regime to eccentric achieves similar health benefits.

What Does This Mean For You?

Many people have a difficult time maintaining a 4-5 day 60 minute exercise routine. The findings from this study are particularly interesting because eccentric exercise programs provide exercisers similar results allowing them to spend half the time they normally would exercising. Researchers said, “Taking into consideration that the current trend in overweight and obesity statistics has become epidemic, such enhanced energy expenditure and lipid oxidation levels during recovery from eccentric exercise could assist in body weight management issues.”

Complete forms of eccentric exercise include downhill walking, stepping over benches, walking down a flight of stairs, and resistance training where most of your efforts are put toward extending muscles.