Muscle cross-sectional area and voluntary force production characteristics in elite strength- and endurance-trained athletes and sprinters

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Abstract
Seven male elite strength-trained athletes (SA) from different weight categories, six elite sprinters (SPA) and seven elite endurance-trained athletes (EA) volunteered as subjects for examination of their muscle cross-sectional area (CSA), maximal voluntary isometric force, force-time and relaxation-time characteristics of the leg extensor muscles. The SA group demonstrated slightly greater CSA and maximal absolute strength than the SPA group, while the EA group demonstrated the smallest values both in CSA and especially in maximal strength (p−2 remained slightly greater than that recorded in the SPA group 55.0±3.1 N·cm−2 and significantly greater (p−2. The mean value in the SPA was also significantly greater (ppp<0.05), especially at the lower force levels, than the other two groups. With regard to the differences in force production per CSA and in the shape of the force-time curves, the present findings may be explained by possible differences both in the rate and the amount of neural activation of the muscles and/or in the qualitative characteristics of the muscle tissue itself. The present findings characterize the very specific nature of high resistance strength-, sprint- and endurance-training stimuli over a very prolonged period of time.

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