Enhancement of Muscle Shortening Torque Preloaded with Muscle Lengthening is Joint-Specific

Our cross-sectional study aimed to investigate joint specificity of concentric muscle torque enhancement after a maximum eccentric contraction for the knee versus ankle joints across two different movement velocities (120°/s and 180°/s). After a familiarization session, 22 healthy young adults randomly performed concentric (CONC) and maximum eccentric preloaded concentric (EccCONC) muscle strength tests of the knee extensors and ankle plantar flexors of the non-dominant leg on an isokinetic strength testing device. We calculated the ratio between EccCONC and CONC (EccCONC/CONC) for all the conditions as the marker of concentric muscle torque enhancement. Separate two-way (joints x velocity) within repeated measures ANOVAs were used to determine joint-specific torque differences at 120°/s and 180°/s. CONC and EccCONC were greater for the knee extensors versus ankle plantar flexors at 120°/s and 180°/s (32.86%–102%; p < 0.001 for both); however, EccCONC/CONC was greater for the ankle plantar flexors than knee extensors at 120°/s (52.4%; p < 0.001) and 180°/s (41.9%; p < 0.001). There was a trend of greater EccCONC/CONC for the knee extensors at 180°/s than 120°/s (6.6%; p = 0.07). Our results show that greater concentric muscle torque enhancement after a maximal eccentric contraction occurs for the ankle plantar flexors versus knee extensors. Whether the joint-specificity of concentric muscle torque enhancement after a maximal eccentric contraction differentially affects sports performance is unknown. Our data provide a reference framework to investigate joint-specific concentric muscle torque enhancement for general and clinical athletic populations.