Do you know the
Russian belt or also called eccentric brace? Do you want to know what benefits
it has? Do you want to know why it was so used in the injury prevention programs
by the Barcelona players of Pep Guardiola? Keep reading…
The eccentric
brace was developed in the former USSR for the training of elite athletes. With
some modifications, it arrived in Spain in the 80s with Hans Ruf, coach of the
Spanish athletics team, who also has his patent (Lloret, Peña & Heredia,
2014, Tarrío, 2016). TMR World (https://tmr-world.com/) is the official brand
of the eccentric brace, and defines it as: "a means to develop the muscles
of the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, lumbar and cervical eccentrically, this
it is, in such a way that lengthening and muscular strengthening occurs
simultaneously "(Lloret, Peña & Heredia, 2014).
(Images extracted from https://tmr-world.com/ and
https://g-se.com/el-tirante-musculador-como-medio-de-trabajo-neuromuscular-bp-K57cfb26d6e6ae ).
https://g-se.com/el-tirante-musculador-como-medio-de-trabajo-neuromuscular-bp-K57cfb26d6e6ae ).
Therefore, its
main utility will be in relation to eccentric training, which as we know has a
great importance in the recovery and injury prevention (see “Remember”). On the
other hand, it is true that it has also been studied with isometric training
and adding mechanical vibrations (vibratory platform), being an interesting
proposal as a proprioceptive stimulus (Lloret, Peña & Heredia, 2014,
Tarrío, 2016).
*REMEMBER!➤
Read if you do not know what an eccentric contraction is:
What is an eccentric contraction? (Lamas, n.d.)
(Ex = outside, centrum = center) Muscle tension is developed and at the same time the physical elongation of the muscle, as external resistance is applied to it. The muscle generates tension while increasing its length. An example of this contraction is during the lowering of the bar in the bench press. This type of contraction "slows down" movement and occurs frequently in activities of daily living such as going down stairs or a hill, where the quadriceps contract eccentrically slowing the knee flexion and allows to descend comfortably . They also occur frequently in many sports where there are changes of rhythm, changes of direction and jumps, slowing movement. It is in this kind of movement where most injuries occur.
What is an eccentric contraction? (Lamas, n.d.)
(Ex = outside, centrum = center) Muscle tension is developed and at the same time the physical elongation of the muscle, as external resistance is applied to it. The muscle generates tension while increasing its length. An example of this contraction is during the lowering of the bar in the bench press. This type of contraction "slows down" movement and occurs frequently in activities of daily living such as going down stairs or a hill, where the quadriceps contract eccentrically slowing the knee flexion and allows to descend comfortably . They also occur frequently in many sports where there are changes of rhythm, changes of direction and jumps, slowing movement. It is in this kind of movement where most injuries occur.
So, why eccentric?
According to Tous (2005) there is a mechanism known as repeated bout effect, in which eccentric training plays a protective function of the connective tissue. Tous points out that after an eccentric training session and the subsequent full recovery that can be up to 6 days, the repetition of the exercise will cause less muscle damage than the initial, this is the repeated bout effect. In this way, the myofibrillar rupture threshold in the muscle will increase, and it will be able to withstand more load towards the stretch or toward the eccentricity. For this reason, eccentric training is currently integrated as an effective tool in the prevention of injuries.
According to Tous (2005) there is a mechanism known as repeated bout effect, in which eccentric training plays a protective function of the connective tissue. Tous points out that after an eccentric training session and the subsequent full recovery that can be up to 6 days, the repetition of the exercise will cause less muscle damage than the initial, this is the repeated bout effect. In this way, the myofibrillar rupture threshold in the muscle will increase, and it will be able to withstand more load towards the stretch or toward the eccentricity. For this reason, eccentric training is currently integrated as an effective tool in the prevention of injuries.
And why has it
been so used in the world of sports performance? According to Tous (in Lloret,
Peña & Heredia, 2014) this material has a series of advantages that justify
its use:
ADVANTAGES
- It allows to work eccentrically for the prevention of injuries, focusing on the "problematic" musculature (anterior quadriceps rectus and the hamstring musculature).
- Effective and safe training with low risk of injury, avoiding injuries by not requiring excessively high external loads that compromise the health of the spine ⟹ We know that the tension produced in eccentric contractions is greater than in concentric contractions, so we can get better adaptations with lower loads. This has been demonstrated in studies such as that of Da Silva et al. 2005 in which no significant differences were found in the muscle activation between the exercise with the eccentric brace with extra load of 20kg and the squat half with extra load of 70% 1RM.
- It allows the complete extension of the hip, necessary to reach these tensions and actively involve the anterior rectus of the quadriceps. Thus, exercises with free weights, squats or extensions in press, do not allow such extension, which is necessary to achieve the correct biarticular function of said musculature.
- Effectiveness-low price ratio. Low cost of acquisition and maintenance compared to other more expensive eccentric training devices such as isoinertial machines. In addition, being a relatively cheap material allows us to have more units to work with several players at once.
- Easy to store and transport.
WATCH OUT!
Keep in mind that the muscle tension requires a period of learning the
technique, where the position of the body, the handling of the load (if used)
will be essential to achieve each repetition efficiently. It is essential to
have the advice of a qualified professional to follow a training program suited
to the objective of each person. Eccentric training must be carefully planned
if we want to achieve the best results without getting injured (Tarrío, 2016).
With a price of around 60-100€ ,we can also obtain this material in:
- https://www.amazon.es/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=tirante+musculador+ruso&tag=hydes-21&index=aps&hvadid=197920198208&hvpos=1t1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13058401911831637198&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1005402&hvtargid=kwd-70805960413&ref=pd_sl_96mikmeb71_b
- https://www.technologysport.com/tienda/es/fuerza-y-potencia/497-tirante-trabajo-excentrico.html
- http://www.rehabmedic.com/cinturon-ruso-tirante-muscular.html
With the eccentric
brace, 2 exercises are mainly performed, knee flexion-extension (squat) and hip
extension (deadlift), although you can also perform more exercises:
(Images extracted from
http://www.preparacionfisicapadel.com/2015/08/blinda-tus-rodillas-con-el-tirante.html and
https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/499899627359591734/ ).
http://www.preparacionfisicapadel.com/2015/08/blinda-tus-rodillas-con-el-tirante.html and
https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/499899627359591734/ ).
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Lloret, C.,
Peña, G., & Heredia, J. (2014). El “tirante musculador” como
medio de trabajo neuromuscular - Instituto Internacional de Ciencias del
Ejercicio Físico y Salud. Grupo Sobre Entrenamiento (G-SE). Retrieved
22 April 2018, from https://g-se.com/el-tirante-musculador-como-medio-de-trabajo-neuromuscular-bp-K57cfb26d6e6ae
Tarrío, H. (2012). Entrenamiento excéntrico con tirante
musculador. BuenaForma estudio de entrenamiento personal. Retrieved
22 April 2018, from http://www.buenaforma.org/2012/12/05/entrenamiento-excentrico-con-tirante-musculador/
Tarrío, H. (2016). El tirante musculador imprescindible en
la prevención de lesiones. BuenaForma estudio de entrenamiento personal.
Retrieved 22 April 2018, from http://www.buenaforma.org/2016/04/27/el-tirante-musculador-imprescindible-en-la-prevencion-de-lesiones/
Post done and edited
by Álvaro
