Shift of peak torque angle after eccentric exercise

This study aims to investigate the changes in the mechanical properties of quadriceps muscle following a sub-maximal concentric-eccentric stepping exercise protocol. Twenty-four untrained healthy subjects aged 21.9 +/- 0.55 years were asked to perform a 10-minute stepping exercise where the dominant leg worked eccentrically and the non-dominant leg worked concentrically at a rate of 15 cycles/min. The quadriceps isokinetic peak torque and the corresponding peak torque angle at angular velocity of 60 degrees/sec, and muscle soreness were determined at baseline, immediately after, day 1 and day 2 after the exercise protocol. Repeated measures of ANOVA showed no change in the peak torque after the eccentric exercise and concentric exercise (p > 0.05). There was a significant shift in the peak torque angle to longer muscle lengths in the eccentrically-exercised leg immediately (65.6 +/- 2.21 degrees) and on the following two days after exercise (day 1: 68.3 +/- 2.71 degrees; day 2: 67.4 +/- 2.51 degrees) when compared with baseline (61.4 +/- 1.55 degrees, p<0.05). These features were not observed in the concentrically-exercised leg. Eccentric exercise produced a higher level of soreness than concentric exercise at day 1 and 2 after the protocol. Submaximal eccentric exercise could bring about changes in the muscle properties resulting in a shift in the angle-torque relationship to longer muscle length without significant force deficit.