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Small muscle training has a whole body effect

This little study looked interesting.

......a study looking at systemic effects of local muscle activity in six heart failure patients found that calf muscle training improved overall exercise capacity without affecting maximal cardiac output

The abstract is here:  Isolated Quadriceps Training Increases Maximal Exercise Capacity in Chronic Heart Failure and there is a bit of commentary here.
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Comments

Anonymous said…
results with a calf-muscle workout would seem more impressive than quads?
October 3, 2011 at 12:35 PM
Anonymous said…
But, but, but... It's a non-functional exercise! NON-FUNCTIONAL! It's not a "real life" movement. It's only a matter of time until they are severely unbalanced and completely unable to walk. Criminal!
October 5, 2011 at 4:23 AM
Alex said…
To clarify, this isn't calf muscle training, it was knee extension exercise, which isolates the quadriceps.

Also, to the above, no this is not what some may deem to be "functional" training. Let's remember that this study was geared towards improving exercise tolerance in individuals with Chronic Heart Failure. More intense modalities of training can be risky for these people until they've reduced their symptoms (if they can). Further, the study of KE exercise alone allowes for these scientists to isolate the working muscle (rather than whole-body exercise), while identifying its effects on systemic and cardiac measures.
October 6, 2011 at 1:02 PM
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