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When people think about exercise or weight training<\/a>, they tend to focus on concentric exercises<\/a>: those powerful movements that shorten muscles, like curling a dumbbell or powering upward in a squat. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n Concentric exercise is a well-established way to build muscle and improve fitness, but eccentric exercise<\/a>, the portion of a movement that lengthens the muscle, may offer additional benefits. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n Eccentric training, an often-overlooked form of exercise, can help build strength with less perceived effort.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Eccentric exercise may help build muscle<\/a> strength with less strain on the body, according to an article recently published in the Journal of Sport and Health Science<\/a>. It may also offer specific advantages over concentric exercise for muscle rehabilitation and even brain health.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n These benefits may be particularly meaningful for certain groups. For older adults and those who are less physically active<\/a>, eccentric exercise may provide an accessible, low impact form of training that can improve fitness. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n Study author Kazunori (Ken) Nosaka<\/a>, PhD, director of Exercise and Sports Science at Edith Cowan University in Western Australia, said he aims to help normalize eccentric exercise.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cEvery eccentric contraction counts. People may be discouraged by thinking they have to do lots of exercise to get fitter and healthier. But people can do a small amount of these exercises and still benefit,\u201d Nosaka told Healthline.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n In physiology and exercise science, eccentric contractions were not well understood until the mid-20th century. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cThe word eccentric literally means something that\u2019s odd or peculiar. This type of contraction was given that term because for a long time, scientists weren\u2019t able to explain it. How muscle produces force while it is being lengthened was a big question mark,\u201d said Lindsey Lepley<\/a>, PhD, associate professor of athletic training, director of the Comparative Orthopaedic Rehabilitation Laboratory (CORL), and co-director of the Orthopedic Rehabilitation & Biomechanics Laboratory (ORB) at the University of Michigan School of Kinesiology. Lepley wasn\u2019t involved in the study.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n In simpler terms, what puzzled scientists was how a muscle could generate force while being stretched. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n The concept of a concentric contraction<\/a> feels intuitive because the muscle is visibly doing the work. However, research<\/a> into muscle biomechanics has shown that muscles can also produce substantial force during eccentric movements. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n Even more unintuitive, muscles may be capable of generating significantly more force \u2014 more than 20%, according to Nosaka \u2014 than during concentric or isometric contractions<\/a>, while requiring less metabolic energy. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n The biomechanics of eccentric exercise mean it offers unique benefits, but also some drawbacks, compared with more common concentric exercise. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n For athletes and weightlifters, eccentrics allow for greater mechanical loading: you can literally handle heavier weight during an eccentric than during a concentric, which can aid both strength development and muscle growth<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n At the same time, eccentric movements tend to be less fatiguing, allowing people to achieve greater training volume through additional repetitions. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n Research suggests that eccentric exercise may also benefit the brain through neural adaptations<\/a> related to motor control and coordination. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n Even for people who are not athletes, eccentric exercise can be a low-friction way to improve fitness. Eccentric exercise is more than just weightlifting: walking downhill and going down stairs<\/a> are both forms of eccentric exercise \u2014 and they both have demonstrated health benefits.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n A 2017 study<\/a> found significant multisystemic benefits in older women with obesity<\/a> after a 12-week program emphasizing eccentric contractions during downhill walking and stair descent. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t have to be super fit to walk down a flight of steps. This is helpful to get people who are potentially less fit to be able to see that they can be doing eccentric-based exercises, which provide a greater mechanical load than just flat-level walking,\u201d said Laura Richardson<\/a>, PhD, clinical associate professor of Applied Exercise Science and Movement Science at the University of Michigan School of Kinesiology. Richardson wasn\u2019t involved in the studies.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n However, Nosaka emphasizes that these risks can be mitigated through proper training and technique, like warming up properly<\/a> with a lower weight. Training volume also matters, as muscle damage induced by eccentric exercise tends to decrease in individuals who exercise regularly\u2014a protective adaptation known as the \u201crepeated bout effect.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t recommend maximal eccentric contraction for certain populations, especially those who are not fit,\u201d Nosaka said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n When thinking about an eccentric movement, it\u2019s typically the opposite phase of the exercise that you would typically emphasize: a deliberate lowering and lengthening.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n For beginners interested in starting eccentric training, Nosaka recommends just a handful of body weight exercises:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n As mentioned earlier, walking, hiking, and stairs can also be eccentric-focused when you go downhill rather than up.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cIf you know you need to walk, walking downhill can build muscle better than walking in a more metabolically taxing way,\u201d Lepley said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cThere are plenty of little daily activities you can get into, I like to call them exercise \u201csnacks\u201d where you can get some benefit just by changing simple parts of your daily routine,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n And Nosaka reminds readers that the old adage \u201cno pain no gain,\u201d just doesn\u2019t hold water anymore, especially when it comes to eccentric exercise. Understanding your body and its limits is a key part of starting and maintaining a fitness plan.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t need any pain to get stronger<\/a> and get fitter,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
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