Context: The quadriceps femoris is consistently ranked among the muscles most prone to sustain strain injuries in sports involving kicking and sprinting actions. Given the documented preventive effect of Nordic hamstring curl programs against hamstring strain injuries, incorporating exercises that induce eccentric overload on the quadriceps could potentially help mitigate strain injuries within this muscle group. The Reverse Nordic Curl (RNC) has emerged as a viable field-based exercise for eccentrically working the quadriceps. This study aimed to compare quadriceps muscle eccentric activation during the RNC with 3 bodyweight squat-based exercises: single-leg squat (SLS), Bulgarian squat, and forward lunge.
Design: Cross-sectional study.
Methods: Twenty-three healthy volunteers (15 men) were monitored for rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, and vastus medialis electromyographic signal, as well as knee range of motion, while performing 10 repetitions of each exercise. Electromyography data acquired during eccentric phases were normalized by maximum voluntary isometric contraction of the knee extensors. The exercises were compared based on the electromyography and knee range of motion values.
Results: RNC generated a similar rectus femoris and vastus medialis eccentric activation compared with the squat-based exercises (P > .05 for all), and a lower vastus lateralis activation than SLS (P < .001). Among the bodyweight squat-based exercises, SLS generated greater eccentric activation than forward lunge and Bulgarian squat for the 3 muscles (P < .05 for all). RNC was performed with lower knee-flexion range of motion than bodyweight squat-based exercises (P < .001).
Conclusions: RNC did not produce superior eccentric quadriceps activation compared to bodyweight squat-based exercises, even proving to be less demanding for the vastus lateralis compared to the SLS. These findings may assist practitioners in selecting exercises to elicit quadriceps eccentric stimulus, with a focus on preventing strain injuries.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1123/jsr.2023-0431 | DOI Listing |
J Sport Rehabil
November 2024
Institute of Education, Federal University of Rio Grande, Rio Grande, RS, Brazil.
J Strength Cond Res
August 2024
Department of Human Sciences and Promotion of the Quality of Life, San Raffaele Rome Open University, Rome, Italy.
Dhahbi, W, Padulo, J, Russo, L, Racil, G, Ltifi, M-A, Picerno, P, Iuliano, E, and Migliaccio, GM. Four- to 6-repetition maximum and 1-repetition maximum estimation in free-weight bench press and smith machine squat based on body mass in male athletes. J Strength Cond Res 38(8): 1366-1371, 2024-This study aimed to explore the feasibility and face validity of predicting maximum strength 1 repetition maximum (1-RM) and 4-6 RM in athletes across different sports specialties, based on the relationship between muscle strength and BM.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSports Health
November 2021
LFE Research Group. Department of Health and Human Performance, Faculty of Physical Activity and Sports Science, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), Madrid, Spain.
Background: Sex hormone deprivation derived from menopause may affect exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD). No studies have previously evaluated this response between postmpenopausal and premenopausal eumenorrheic women over the menstrual cycle.
Hypothesis: Postmenopausal women will present higher EIMD markers than premenopausal women, especially in comparison with the menstrual cycle phases where sex hormone concentrations are higher.
J Strength Cond Res
February 2021
LFE Research Group, Department of Health and Human Performance, Faculty of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences, Polytechnic University of Madrid (UPM), Madrid, Spain; and.
Romero-Parra, N, Rael, B, Alfaro-Magallanes, VM, Janse de Jonge, X, Cupeiro, R, and Peinado, AB; On Behalf of the IronFEMME Study Group. The effect of the oral contraceptive cycle phase on exercise-induced muscle damage after eccentric exercise in resistance-trained women. J Strength Cond Res 35(2): 353-359, 2021-To evaluate the influence of the active pill phase versus withdrawal phase of a monophasic oral contraceptive (OC) cycle on exercise-induced muscle damage and inflammation after eccentric resistance exercise.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Environ Res Public Health
March 2020
LFE Research Group. Department of Health and Human Performance. Faculty of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences. Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), 28040 Madrid, Spain.
The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the menstrual cycle and its underlying hormonal fluctuations affect muscle damage and inflammation in well-trained females following an eccentric exercise. Nineteen eumenorrheic women performed an eccentric squat-based exercise in the early follicular phase, late follicular phase and mid-luteal phase of their menstrual cycle. Sex hormones and blood markers of muscle damage and inflammation -creatine kinase, myoglobin, lactate dehydrogenase, interleukin-6, tumoral necrosis factor-, and C reactive protein- were analyzed in each phase.
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