Twenty Seconds of Finger Tapping:A Borderland for Contralateral Transfer of Repeated Bout Rate Enhancement

Highlights: Repeated bout rate enhancement is reported for bouts of freely chosen finger tapping. The phenomenon has also been reported to be transferred from one hand to the other. Previously, 3-min bouts were performed – here, bouts lasted merely 20 s. Rate enhancement only occurred when first bout was done with the non-dominant hand. 20 s of tapping appears to be a borderland for elicitation of contralateral transfer. Abstract Background: To test the hypothesis that a 20-s bout of unilateral index finger tapping, followed by 10 min rest, increases the freely chosen tapping rate performed by the contralateral index finger, in a second 20-s bout. Methods: Twenty healthy adults performed tapping with the index finger on one hand followed by a 10 min rest period and tapping with the other index finger. Tapping was performed at freely chosen rate. Testing was performed with dominant hand first as well as in the opposite order. Results: Freely chosen tapping rates from the first bouts were 161.6±94.2 and 162.8±80.3 taps per min for the dominant and non-dominant hand, respectively (p=0.903; R=0.89, p<0.001). When bout one was performed with the non-dominant hand, the rate increased by 15.0%±22.3% in about two (p=0.008). In the opposite order, the rate remained similar (+4.8%±17.9%, but p=0.655). Conclusion: Based on the present, as well as previously published results, the interpretation is that 20 s of initial index finger tapping appears to constitute a borderland for elicitation of subsequent contralateral excitation of freely chosen tapping rate

Maximal accelerations for twelve weeks elicit improvement in a single out of a collection of cycling performance indicators in trained cyclists

INTRODUCTION: Cycling is a time-consuming sport. Cyclists, as many other athletes, therefore, focus on training effectively. The hypothesis was tested that twelve weeks of supplementary maximal acceleration training caused more favourable changes in cycling performance indicators as compared to changes measured in comparable control cyclists. METHODS: Trained cyclists (n = 24) participated. A control group and a group performing maximal acceleration training, as a supplement to their usual training, were formed. The maximal acceleration training consisted of series of ten repetitions of outdoor brief maximal accelerations, which were initiated from low speed and performed in a large gear ratio. The cyclists in the control group performed their usual training. Performance indicators, in form of peak power output in a 7-s maximal isokinetic sprint test, maximal aerobic power output in a graded test, and submaximal power output at a predetermined blood lactate concentration of 2.5 mmol L(−1) in a graded test were measured before and after the intervention. RESULTS: Peak power output in the sprint test was increased (4.1% from before to after the intervention) to a larger extent (p = 0.045) in the cyclists who had performed the maximal acceleration training than in the control cyclists (−2.8%). Changes in maximal aerobic power output and in submaximal power output at a blood lactate concentration of 2.5 mmol L(−1) were not significantly different between the groups (p > 0.351). DISCUSSION: The results indicated that the applied supplementary maximal acceleration training caused modest favourable changes of performance indicators, as compared to the changes measured in a group of comparable control cyclists