Effect of Contralateral Training on Muscle Strength: A Narrative Review

Authors : Çağatay Müslüm Gökdoğan, Nevin A. Güzel

Pages : 209-216

Doi:10.46237/amusbfd.1371687

View : 20 | Download : 17

Publication Date : 2024-05-31

Article Type : Review Paper

Abstract :Contralateral training is defined as the case where exercising one extremity or one side of the body can cause improvements to the opposite extremity or side of the body without direct training. In other words, it represents the transfer of effects due to training from one extremity to another or from one side of the body to the other. This effect is observed with exercise forms like strength, resistance and motor skills training. For example, if a person only performs strength exercises with the right arm, an increase in strength is observed in the left arm, even though direct training was not performed. The probable gains obtained by training the unaffected extremity may be transferred to the affected extremity, which may improve general function. This transfer of benefit may occur due to neural adaptations occurring in the brain and spinal cord. Contralateral training, or cross-education, has been used in recent years in the rehabilitation process for patients with orthopedic or neurological problems. In this review, we aimed to explain the effect of different contraction types in the trained extremity on muscle strength in the untrained extremity.
Keywords : Rehabilitasyon, kas kuvveti, direnç antrenmanı