NEURAL ADAPTATIONS FROM PROGRESSIVE RESISTANCE TRAINING

PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECT SIGNIFICANCE (INCREASE IN PROPERTIES)

PSYGHOLOGICAL FORCE
→ temporary modification of central nervous system CNS
→ people operate at neural inhibition, via protective reflex
mechanisms →
Inhibition is removed during: ① Excitement of intense
competition ② Under the influence of disinhibitory drugs
③Hypnotic suggestions →
When inhibition is removed, ① Motor neurons are optimally
recruited and ②An apparent submaximal performance is
attained (explains flight or fright principle)

IEMG ACTIVITY FORCE

→ Increased electrical activity of the muscle occurs early in the
strength training process (Indicated by IEMG activity)
→ When strength training protocols are
applied, the nervous system makes a significant contribution
towards amount of force generated within the muscle
→ IEMG changes are greater for eccentric than concentric
exercise →
IEMG (Intergrated Electromyographic activity)

RECRUITMENT OF HIGH-THRESHOLD
MOTOR UNITS RATE OF FORCE DEVELOPMENT
→ Research has shown that when Isokinetic training and
electrography are used, strength gains without changes in
muscle size can occure, this is due to alterations in motor unit
recruitment →
Motor units are usually recruited asynchronously (not called on
at the same time) → Two
neural adaptations occur: ① Enhanced recruitment ②
Increased time that motor units can be activated

RATE OF MOTOR UNIT ACTIVATION RATE OF FORCE DEVELOPMENT

→ Rate of motor unit activation relates to increased motor
unit firing rate →
Increasing the motor unit firing rate also increases the
strength and duration of muscle contraction →
Larger, stronger motor units have a higher firing rate than
smaller and weaker motor units →
Motor unit firing rate affects the Rate of Force Development
(RFD) → The firing rate
can be trained by doing explosive exercises

REFLEX MOTOR UNIT FACILITATION OF RATE OF FORCE DEVELOPMENT

CONRACTION ASSIST IN ELASTIC COMPONENTS TO INCREASE FORCE
→ Plyometric training may cause the nervous system to
develop reflexes to sudden high stretch loads →
Trained peoples' muscles will be more rapidly and fully
activated before a jump, than those of untrained people →
When box jumping the trained person has increased EMG
activity then the untrained person →
Upon landing the trained person is neurally facilitated, while
the untrained person is neurally inhibited

RATE CODING
→ Another factor that could contribute to
force production of a muscle following
training →
Used to : ① Firing frequency
② Discharge
rates of motor units
→ Not well studied but possible factor
COORDINATION OF ANTAGONISTIC OF ANTAGONIST MUSCLE GROUPS
→ Many neural adaptations(●Reflex motor unit facilitation ●Improved coordination of
antagonist muscle groups ●Enhancement of motor unit synchronization ●Cross
training effects ●inhibition of golgi tendon organs) increase strength and improve
coordination →
Elite athletes make powerful movements look effortless and graceful because:
①They have coordinated neural control over movements ② Increased
contractile capacity ③ Synchronized release of elastic energy within the
muscles

CROSS TRAINING MUSCLES FROM LEFT TO RIGHT OF THE BODY

→ Refers to training one side of the body and having results in strength increases in
the inactive complementary muscle group on the opposite side of the body
→ The inactive body part is called the contra-lateral limb
→ Research has shown that there is an increase in: ①Inter limb timing ❷
muscle stretch shortening reflexes in contra-lateral limb and ❸ increase in muscle enzyme
content → Very useful in the rehabilitation of injuries
→ Best works when contractions are near maximal

COACTIVATION
→ Another neural factor that might contribute to strength gains with
resistance training → It is
refered to as coactivation of angonst and antagonist muscles
→ If both angonist and antagonist muscles would contract at the same
time, with the same force, then no movement would be acomplished

SYNCHRONIZATION OF MOTOR UNIT FIRING RATES

→ Synchronized motor unit firing rates lead to: 1-smooth acceleration 2-
greater power 3- increased time of muscle tension maintanance
→ As the muscle lengthens
suddenly, neural activation of motor units is very important for optimizing its
elastic loading
→ Elastic loading results in greater application of force when the
muscles contract concentrically

STRUCTURAL CHANGES OF MOTOR END PLATE

→ Due to speed and power training the following increased :
① The number of terminal branches
② The cross-sectional area of motor
nerve fibers

AUTOGENIC INHIBITION (DECREASE NEUROLOGICAL INHIBITION)

→ Inhibition mechanisms in the neuromuscluar system such as the Golgi tendon
organs, might be necessary to prevent the muscles from exerting more force than the
bones and connective tissue can tolerate →
During superhuman feats of strength, major damage is often caused to theses structures,
suggesting that the protective inhibitions are overriden → Reticular
formation in the brain stem and the cerebral cortex can also initiate and propagate inhibitory
pulses