Researchers explore the power of mental visualization in maintaining real-life muscle
Anyone who has worn a cast knows that rebuilding muscle strength once the cast is removed can be difficult. Now researchers at the Ohio Musculoskeletal and Neurological Institute (OMNI) at Ohio University have found that the mind is critical in maintaining muscle strength following a prolonged period of immobilization and that mental imagery may be key in reducing the associated muscle loss.
Strength is controlled by a number of factors—the most studied by far is skeletal muscle. However, the nervous system is also an important, though not fully understood, determinant of strength and weakness. Brian C. Clark and colleagues set out to test how the brain’s cortex plays into strength development. They designed an experiment to measure changes in wrist flexor strength in three groups of healthy adults. Twenty-nine subjects wore a rigid cast that extended from just below the elbow past the fingers, effectively immobilizing the hand and wrist, for four weeks. Fifteen subjects who did not wear casts served as the control group.
Of the group with wrist-hand immobilization, half (14) were asked to regularly perform an imagery exercise, imagining they were intensely contracting their wrist for five seconds and then resting for five seconds. They were verbally guided through the imagery exercise with the following instructions: “Begin imagining that you are pushing in as hard as you can with your left wrist, push, push, push…and stop. (Five-second rest.) Start imagining that you are pushing in again as hard as you can, keep pushing, keep pushing…and stop. (Five-second rest.)” This was repeated four times in a row followed by a one-minute break for a total of 13 rounds per session and five sessions per week. The second group performed no imagery exercises.
At the end of the four-week experiment, both groups who wore casts had lost strength in their immobilized limbs when compared to the control group. But the group that performed mental imagery exercises lost 50% less strength than the non-imaginative group (24 percent vs. 45 percent, respectively). The nervous system’s ability to fully activate the muscle (called “voluntary activation” or VA) also rebounded more quickly in the imagery group compared to the non-imagery group.
Read more: Mind over Matter: Can You Think Your Way to Strength?
The Latest on: Imagery exercise
[google_news title=”” keyword=”Imagery exercise” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
via Google News
The Latest on: Imagery exercise
- ‘The Substance’ Review: Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley Make Coralie Fargeat’s Sci-Fi Body Horror Double the Funon May 19, 2024 at 2:49 pm
The festival’s most audacious horror film is sure to send more squeamish audiences running for the exits The post ‘The Substance’ Review: Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley Make Coralie Fargeat’s Sci-Fi ...
- Planet Fitness to offer free membership to teens this summer. How to sign upon May 17, 2024 at 1:05 am
Planet Fitness is once again launching its High School Summer Pass program that promotes teens to work out this summer for free. This is the fourth year for the initiative for the fitness club.
- Planet Fitness offers free summer workout pass for teens, high school studentson May 15, 2024 at 11:25 am
Planet Fitness is once again launching its High School Summer Pass program that promotes teens to work out this summer for free. This is the fourth year for the initiative. Starting Saturday ...
- Tyson Fury Workout and Training Routine For Usykon May 15, 2024 at 5:38 am
Tyson Fury, the heavyweight champion, is known for his incredible boxing skills and fitness level. Here's why.
- Best Home Exercise Equipment for 2024on May 15, 2024 at 4:33 am
The first thing to consider is what type of exercise you want to be doing at home -- is it for strength training, cardio or stress relief? Your answer (or answers) will dictate which pieces you ...
- Exclusive: US intelligence spotted Chinese, Iranian deepfakes in 2020 aimed at influencing US voterson May 15, 2024 at 3:46 am
Operatives working for the Chinese and Iranian governments prepared fake, AI-generated content as part of a campaign to influence US voters in the closing weeks of the 2020 election campaign, current ...
- Is Space Becoming the Next Front for War—and Traffic Jams?on May 13, 2024 at 12:40 pm
Satellites enable everyday tools like GPS and weather forecasts, and allow militaries to track troop movements and target weapons. But the most desirable orbits are increasingly crowded and vulnerable ...
- The 7 best exercise bikes for home use in 2024on May 9, 2024 at 4:29 am
Investing in one of the best exercise bikes is a great way to boost your stamina and burn calories without putting excessive strain on your joints. These exercise machines also tend to be more ...
- Satellite imagery shows Palestinians fleeing Rafah’s tent cities as threat of major attack loomson May 8, 2024 at 5:00 pm
Palestinians are fleeing Rafah’s tent cities in large numbers as the threat of a potential major Israeli assault in the southern Gaza city looms, new satellite imagery from Planet Labs shows.
via Bing News