Affiliations: [a] Sports and Education Department, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain | [b] Physiotherapy Department, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Leioa, Spain
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Aitor Zabaleta-Korta, Department
of Physical Education and Sport, Faculty of Education and Sport, University of the Basque
Country UPV/EHU. Lasarteko Atea 71, 01007 Vitoria-Gasteiz, Basque Country, Spain.
E-mail: aitorzabaletakorta@gmail.com.
Abstract: BACKGROUND: In the last decades, emerging evidence has shown that muscle growth is not homogeneous along a muscle head. This phenomenon is known as regional muscle hypertrophy and has led to several questions regarding the implications it may have for health and sports performance. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine whether regional hypertrophy can be predicted by surface electromyography (sEMG). METHODS: 36 participants performed two arm exercises (preacher curls and inclined curls) in a random order to muscle failure at 70% of the 1 RM of the bicep curl exercise. As every participant performed a different number of repetitions, Peak sEMG and the integral of the sEMG of the last 3 repetitions was analyzed an compared to previously performed maximal voluntary isometric contractions (MVIC). RESULTS: The independent sample t-tests showed no significant differences neither in the peak nor in the integral of the sEMG between exercises for any given region. CONCLUSIONS: sEMG cannot be used to predict regional hypertrophy.
