Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1 MSc in Biological Sciences in Sport, Faculty of Sports Sciences and Health, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.
2 Assistant Professor, Department Biological Sciences in Sport, Faculty of Sports Sciences and Health, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract
Background and Aim: During the plateau stage of resistance training, it is necessary to manipulate training variables and apply advanced training techniques. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate a comparison of acute effects of sarcoplasmic stimulation and traditional methods on muscle thickness, plasma volume, and testosterone to cortisol-ratio in bodybuilders during a plateau period. Materials and Methods: A crossover design was conducted with 10 bodybuilding athletes (26.71±4.1 years, 3.5±1.6 years training experience) participating in two traditional and sarcoplasm stimulation protocols over an interval of seven days. In the traditional protocol, eight sets were performed at an intensity of 70-80% of one repetition maximum until failure. During the sarcoplasmic stimulation protocol, six reduction sets were performed (three sets of 70-80%, three sets with a 20% load reduction and one set of isometrics until failure). Buresh formula was used to measure acute muscle swelling of the biceps muscle, Castille's equation was used to measure changes in plasma volume, and blood samples were taken to determine testosterone and cortisol levels. normality of the data distribution was conducted using the Shapiro-Wilk test. After ensuring the normality of the data distribution, a comparison between before and after values of each variable was determined and the amount of change was determined using a paired t-test. Results: There was a significant difference between traditional exercise and sarcoplasm stimulation in terms of acute biceps swelling in this study (p=0.036). There were no significant differences observed between the two protocols in terms of the hormonal responses to testosterone and cortisol as well as changes in plasma volume (p>0.05). Conclusion: In trained individuals, the use of the sarcoplasmic stimulation system appears to be an effective method for passing the plateau. Despite the lower training volume, it involves more metabolic stress and acute swelling than traditional training.
Keywords
)