Date of Award
1-1-2024
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Ph.D. in Health and Kinesiology
First Advisor
Jeremy Loenneke
Second Advisor
Thomas Andre
Third Advisor
Matthew Jessee
Relational Format
dissertation/thesis
Abstract
Purpose: To 1) investigate whether the cross-education effect from high-load training can augment the strength changes in the opposite arm undergoing the same training; 2) examine if the cross education of strength depends on limb dominance; and 3) examine if the cross-education of strength can be translated to increases in muscular endurance.
Methods: 160 participants were randomized into high-load training on both the dominant and non-dominant arm (D+ND), training on the dominant arm only (D-Only), training on the non-dominant arm only (ND-Only), and non-exercise control (CON). All training groups completed 18 sessions of high-load resistance exercise, with pre- and post-testing sessions to assess the changes in strength, muscle size, and absolute/relative muscular endurance. Bayes Factors for Informative Hypotheses was used to compare changes. Mediation analysis was used to investigate the influence of strength changes on absolute/relative muscular endurance.
Results: The cross-education of strength following unilateral high-load training was not different between the dominant and non-dominant arm (D-Only: 1.5 kg, ND-Only: 1.3 kg, CON: -0.2 kg). In the non-dominant arm, strength was increased following unilateral high-load training (ND-Only: 2.6 kg), however, this was not augmented by the cross-education of strength from the opposite arm undergoing the same training (D+ND: 2.7 kg). The same finding was observed in the dominant arm (D-Only: 2.3 kg, D+ND: 2.5 kg). The changes in absolute muscular endurance of the non-dominant arm were greater in D-Only (4.9 reps) compared to CON (1.2 reps), indicating cross-education of absolute muscular endurance. However, there was no evidence for a cross-education of relative muscular endurance. Increased strength positively mediated the changes in absolute muscular endurance, whereas it negatively mediated the changes in relative muscular endurance.
Conclusion: Cross-education of strength following high-load training was symmetrical between the dominant and non-dominant arm. However, this cross-education effect did not augment strength changes in the opposite arm undergoing the same training. High-load training resulted in cross education of absolute muscular endurance, which may be due to strength gain via cross-education of strength.
Recommended Citation
Song, Jun Seob, "Does Unilateral High-Load Training Augment Strength Change in the Contralateral Arm Undergoing the Same High-Load Training Via the Cross-Education Effect?" (2024). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 2879.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd/2879