When an athlete suffers an injury, the early decisions made around their training can have a profound impact on their reconditioning timeline.
Research has shown that training the opposite limb can result in up to 77% of the gained strength transferring to the untrained (injured) limb. This is a result of adaptations in the nervous system that allow for a strong neural drive and coordinated contraction to be maintained in the injured side, despite it not actively moving.
Focusing on multi-joint exercises with slow eccentric and rapid concentric phases will maximize the transfer effect.
These positive neural adaptations accompany desirable hormonal responses to heavy resistance training, which may positively impact tissue healing.
If the goal is to optimize injury healing, and expedite a return to full performance, complete rest is rarely the answer.
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To your success,
Kevin Neeld
SpeedTrainingforHockey.com
HockeyTransformation.com
OptimizingAdaptation.com
P.S. For more information reconditioning injured athletes, check out Optimizing Adaptation & Performance
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