Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Influence Of External Loading And Speed Of Movement On Muscle-Tendon Unit Behaviour And Its Implications For Training, Jacob Earp

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

In this thesis great emphasis has been placed on vastus lateralis (VL) muscle-tendon unit (MTU) structure, behaviour/movement and adaptation. Of particular interest was how external loading and movement speed influence these variables. In the first study (Chapter 3) we developed a new methodology by which electromyography (EMG) could be normalised during large range of motion knee extensions. This methodology was then used as part of a larger study, which investigated how external loading influenced the interaction of muscle and tendon (MTU behaviour) during stretch shortening cycle isoinertial knee extensions, and how muscle activity and intrinsic tendon force (Ft) influenced MTU …

Muscle Damage And Metabolic Profiles Of Eccentric Cycling, Luis Penailillo

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Eccentric cycling, in which the knee extensor muscles perform eccentric contractions while trying to brake the backward rotational movements of the cranks of a cycle ergometer, has been shown to effectively increase muscle function and volume with a low metabolic cost. However, acute responses to repeated eccentric cycling bouts have not been well documented. Thus, the primary purposes of this PhD project were to investigate muscle damage and metabolic profiles of eccentric cycling in comparison to concentric cycling (Studies 1-3), and muscle-tendon behaviour (Study 4) during eccentric cycling in relation to muscle damage.

Study 1 compared muscle damage and metabolic …