Traditional stand-up dumbbell curls induced uniform elbow flexors regional hypertrophy in untrained individuals
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Abstract
Context: Skeletal muscle plays a crucial role in daily motion, athletic performance, health, and longevity. However, aging- or disuse-induced muscle loss can lead to functional disorders, vulnerability to injury, and increased risks of chronic diseases if left unattended. Resistance training, a type of physical exercise where skeletal muscle contracts against an external resistance to improve function and aesthetics, has been widely considered the most effective extraneous means to increase muscle mass and prevent the health-related risk of muscle atrophy. Recent evidence suggests that a muscle could increase its anatomical cross-sectional area and muscle thickness of a particular region to a greater degree than others, referred to as regional muscle hypertrophy (RMH). Objective: This study examined the change in muscle thickness (MT) at three regions of elbow flexors (EF) and its RMH pattern to eight-week standing dumbbell curl (SDC) training. Method: 22 untrained individuals (age: 23.4±3.9 years) were recruited to participate in the study. Participants completed 24 sessions (eight weeks, 3 sessions/week) of unilateral SDC training with a dumbbell equivalent to 70% of their one repetition maximum. MT of the proximal, middle, and distal elbow flexor of each participant was assessed before and after training using B-mode ultrasonography. A paired sample t-test was used to assess the pre-post MT changes of each of the three regions. A one-way repeated measure analysis of variance was conducted to compare the percent change in MT between regions. Result: Paired sample t-tests found significant differences between pre- and post-MT of all three regions (Proximal: p<0.001, d=1.63, Middle: p<0.001, d=1.21, Distal: p<0.001, d=2.06). No significant differences were found among regions. Conclusion: The current study showed significant increases in MT of all three regions of the EF in untrained participants in response to eight weeks of SDC RT. Further, no significant differences were observed between regions, suggesting that SDC training induced uniform muscle growth across the long axis of the EF.