Final answer:
Eccentric exercises enhance strength through microtrauma and a stronger repair response, increasing muscle fiber size via hypertrophy and utilizing high-tension contractions that stimulate muscle adaptation.
Step-by-step explanation:
Eccentric exercises create more strength because they involve lengthening the muscle under tension, which leads to microtrauma in the muscle fibers. This trauma stimulates a stronger repair response compared with concentric exercises, resulting in increased muscle fibers thickness through myofibril hypertrophy. Resistance exercises, utilizing fast glycolytic (FG) fibers, involve higher rates of ATP hydrolysis and cross-bridge formation, contributing to more powerful muscle contractions and hypertrophy. To achieve maximal muscle gains, progressively increasing the intensity of the exercise is essential. Athletes often consume more protein to support muscle structure growth, which is crucial for building muscle mass.
People with a higher proportion of fast-twitch fibers may develop larger, stronger muscles through anaerobic exercises, as these fibers have greater potential for growth and contribute more to muscle strength than slow-twitch fibers. Eccentric contraction, a type of isotonic contraction, is particularly effective at stimulating strength increases because the controlled lengthening of muscles under tension requires a significant amount of force, leading to greater adaptation and muscular enlargement over time.