[PUMBA]

Cross Transference

by Dr. Gabe Mirkin

Keeping an Injured Muscle Stimulated

Injuries upset athletes because they know their competitors are still training. They can maintain fitness by using a training technique called cross transference, and so can you.

Exercising one leg or arm helps to maintain strength, endurance and power in the opposite limb. The muscles in the injured limb are not strengthened directly because they are not being used. Cross transference stimulates nerves in both limbs, even though only one is being exercised (Journal of Applied Physiology, November 2005).

Each muscle is made of millions of fibers, and each fiber is stimulated by a single nerve. When you exercise, your brain sends messages along these nerves, telling only about five percent of the nerves to contract at the same time. With training, your brain learns to contract a greater percentage of muscle fibers simultaneously.

The more you practice a specific exercise, the greater percentage of your muscle fibers you can contract at the same time. When you stop exercising, your brain quickly loses its ability to contract as many fibers at the same time and you lose strength, endurance and coordination. However, if you continue to exercise one arm, your brain retains its ability to contract the fibers in the opposite arm.

This concept applies only to opposite limbs; you can maintain strength in an injured arm by continuing to exercise the uninjured one, but exercising your legs will not strengthen your arms and vice versa. So if you are a runner who injures a leg muscle, you can work the uninjured leg on resistance machines to keep up the strength of both legs. If you are a baseball pitcher, you can help to maintain strength in an injured arm by using your other arm to throw and do resistance exercises.



A practicing physician for more than 40 years and a radio talk show host for 25, Dr. Mirkin is a graduate of Harvard University and Baylor University College of Medicine. He is one of very few doctors board-certified in four specialties: Sports Medicine, Allergy and Immunology, Pediatrics and Pediatric Immunology.

[Johnny Bravo]

please post your articles in the right section

[Q80_MuscleHed]

good article man .. thx

[Rocky]

Interesting read! Nice one!

[tim290280]

And now in reality!

It can work for awhile, and will keep some strength and muscle, but it really is for if you have a mild strain. If you have a major injury, or have to take alot of time off to rest the injury, then you have to accept that you will loose size and strength. Anything that stops you training directly or indirectly will affect you.

Its the same as the body doesn't like getting out of balance, but it will allow imbalances to occur (look at any javelin thrower).

[canablistic_Turnip]

Good post Pumba injured my self before and trainned in this manner. It works! Lucky I had a coach at the time who knew his stuff. And TIM muscles don't grow unevenly thats a fact. Otherwise u would see people with 21 inch biceps and 14inch on the other side.

[tim290280]

Originally Posted by canablistic_Turnip

Good post Pumba injured my self before and trainned in this manner. It works! Lucky I had a coach at the time who knew his stuff. And TIM muscles don't grow unevenly thats a fact. Otherwise u would see people with 21 inch biceps and 14inch on the other side.

Well then my injured leg that is still noticably smaller must be in my imagination?!

That the training works is true, but I was pointing out that it won't work all the time and in all situations. Serious injuries (grade 2 and above tears, etc) just need more time to heal and are getting no direct stimulation in this time. Without direct stimulation you will get imbalances.

I used the example of javelin throwers; they end up with one arm and chest larger than the other through their training. Though it is never, as you pointed out, massive differences, there will be noticable differences.

[front_row]

Originally Posted by tim290280

Well then my injured leg that is still noticably smaller must be in my imagination?!

That the training works is true, but I was pointing out that it won't work all the time and in all situations. Serious injuries (grade 2 and above tears, etc) just need more time to heal and are getting no direct stimulation in this time. Without direct stimulation you will get imbalances.

I used the example of javelin throwers; they end up with one arm and chest larger than the other through their training. Though it is never, as you pointed out, massive differences, there will be noticable differences.

You will get imbalances, of course. But if you separate you shoulder, do you want your arms to be 16 inches on one side and 18 on the other - or a nice symmetrical, balanced 12 inches on both. I'd take the imbalance and bring up the injured arm over time.

[MaKaVeLi]

thanks for the article man