Аннотация:This investigation sought to determine the effect of resistance training to failure on functional, structural and neural elbow flexor muscle adaptation. Twenty‐eight males completed a 4‐week familiarization period and were then counterbalanced on the basis of responsiveness across; non‐failure rapid shortening ( RS ; rapid concentric, 2 s eccentric), non‐failure stretch‐shortening ( SSC ; rapid concentric, rapid eccentric), and failure control ( C , 2 s concentric, 2 s eccentric), for a 12‐week unilateral elbow flexor resistance training regimen, 3 × week using 85% of one repetition maximum (1 RM ). 1 RM , maximal voluntary contraction ( MVC ), muscle cross‐sectional area ( CSA ), and muscle activation ( EMG RMS ) of the agonist, antagonist, and stabilizer muscles were assessed before and after the 12‐week training period. The average number of repetitions per set was significantly lower in RS 4.2 [confidence interval ( CI ): 4.2, 4.3] and SSC 4.2 ( CI : 4.2, 4.3) compared with C 6.1 ( CI : 5.8, 6.4). A significant increase in 1 RM (30.5%), MVC (13.3%), CSA (11.4%), and agonist EMG RMS (22.1%) was observed; however, no between‐group differences were detected. In contrast, antagonist EMG RMS increased significantly in SSC (40.5%) and C (23.3%), but decreased in RS (13.5%). Similar adaptations across the three resistance training regimen suggest repetition failure is not critical to elicit significant neural and structural changes to skeletal muscle.
