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Cheng C-H1, Lin C-F2, Cheng H-YK3, Wu P-F1
1School of Physical Therapy and Graduate Institute of Rehabilitation Science, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan, 2College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Department of Physical Therapy, Tainan, Taiwan, 3Graduate Institute of Early Intervention, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
Background: The triceps brachii plays an important role in the performance of many sports. Previous studies tried to identify the most efficient way to exercise the triceps by comparing various push-up exercises [1], or exploring how different force directions and hand grasping types affect the muscle activities during the cable resistance training [2]. The neuromuscular performance and fatigue threshold has reported to behave differently in the male and female subjects, ex., men are stronger and more explosive and women are less prone to fatigue [3], and the training effects may also vary with gender.
Purpose: This purpose of this study was to compare the effects of gender and different triceps training exercises on the muscle tension and activation properties of triceps brachii.
Methods: This study enrolled 10 males and 10 female healthy subjects aged between 19 and 21 years. The tensiomyography (TMG-BMC d.o.o., Ljubljana, Slovenia) was used to assess the immediate changes of the muscle tension of the long head of triceps brachii at the dominant side in the beginning (baseline value) and after two training exercises, i.e., the overhead triceps extension and the triceps kickback. The wireless surface electromyography (Trigno, Delsys, USA) was used to record the muscle activations of during the training exercises. The sequence of the two training exercises was randomly assigned and separated by 30 minutes. The muscle tension properties included the delay time of muscle response upon an electrical stimulation (Td) and flexibility of the triceps. And the muscle activations during the two training exercises were normalized by those at the baseline. The Paired t test was used for statistical analysis. Significance was set at p 0.05.
Results: The results showed that the muscle flexibility and the Td of male subjects after performing both training exercises was significantly less than the baseline value. In addition, the Td after the triceps kickback was significantly less than that of the overhead triceps extension. There was no significant difference among the comparisons in the female group. As for the muscle activation properties, the male subjects showed significantly greater normalized EMG of the triceps muscle during the overhead triceps extension than the triceps kickback, and there was still no significant difference of the EMG parameter among the comparisons in the female group.
Conclusion(s): This study found that the triceps training exercises can promote the muscle reaction time and increase the muscle activation level at the cost of increasing muscle stiffness. Those effects were more pronounced in the overhead triceps extension than in the triceps kickback especially for the male subjects.
Implications: This study presents the immediate effects of common triceps resistance training exercises on the muscle properties. Future studies are warranted to further explore the effectiveness of those exercises after the practical long-term training.
Keywords: upper extremity, resistance training, muscle property
Funding acknowledgements: We thank all the participants and acknowledge the support of the Ministry of Science and Technology of Taiwan (106-2218-E-182-007-MY3).
Purpose: This purpose of this study was to compare the effects of gender and different triceps training exercises on the muscle tension and activation properties of triceps brachii.
Methods: This study enrolled 10 males and 10 female healthy subjects aged between 19 and 21 years. The tensiomyography (TMG-BMC d.o.o., Ljubljana, Slovenia) was used to assess the immediate changes of the muscle tension of the long head of triceps brachii at the dominant side in the beginning (baseline value) and after two training exercises, i.e., the overhead triceps extension and the triceps kickback. The wireless surface electromyography (Trigno, Delsys, USA) was used to record the muscle activations of during the training exercises. The sequence of the two training exercises was randomly assigned and separated by 30 minutes. The muscle tension properties included the delay time of muscle response upon an electrical stimulation (Td) and flexibility of the triceps. And the muscle activations during the two training exercises were normalized by those at the baseline. The Paired t test was used for statistical analysis. Significance was set at p 0.05.
Results: The results showed that the muscle flexibility and the Td of male subjects after performing both training exercises was significantly less than the baseline value. In addition, the Td after the triceps kickback was significantly less than that of the overhead triceps extension. There was no significant difference among the comparisons in the female group. As for the muscle activation properties, the male subjects showed significantly greater normalized EMG of the triceps muscle during the overhead triceps extension than the triceps kickback, and there was still no significant difference of the EMG parameter among the comparisons in the female group.
Conclusion(s): This study found that the triceps training exercises can promote the muscle reaction time and increase the muscle activation level at the cost of increasing muscle stiffness. Those effects were more pronounced in the overhead triceps extension than in the triceps kickback especially for the male subjects.
Implications: This study presents the immediate effects of common triceps resistance training exercises on the muscle properties. Future studies are warranted to further explore the effectiveness of those exercises after the practical long-term training.
Keywords: upper extremity, resistance training, muscle property
Funding acknowledgements: We thank all the participants and acknowledge the support of the Ministry of Science and Technology of Taiwan (106-2218-E-182-007-MY3).
Topic: Sport & sports injuries; Musculoskeletal: upper limb; Human movement analysis
Ethics approval required: Yes
Institution: Chang Gung medical foundation
Ethics committee: Institutional reviewer board
Ethics number: 106-0342C1
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
