Question

Which of the following definitions BEST describes an eccentric muscle contraction?

A. No movement is produced.
B. During the movement, one of the muscle attachments is stable while the other attachment moves toward it.
C. A small amount of movement is produced.
D. During the movement, the muscle's attachments move apart from each other.

Answer 1

An eccentric muscle contraction is best described as the muscle elongating while controlling the descent of a load, which leads to the muscle attachments moving apart from each other.

Step-by-step explanation:

The definition that BEST describes an eccentric muscle contraction is: D. During the movement, the muscle's attachments move apart from each other. In an eccentric contraction, such as when lowering a hand weight, the muscle lengthens while controlling the descent of the load against gravity.

Unlike concentric contractions where the muscle shortens, in eccentric contractions, the muscle elongates as it maintains tension to decelerate the movement of the joints. This action increases the angle of the joint, for instance, increasing the angle of the elbow joint when the biceps brachii muscle slowly relaxes while lowering the hand weight.

Answer 2

An eccentric muscle contraction is characterized by a reduction in muscle tension as the muscle lengthens, causing the muscle attachments to move apart from each other, often observed during the controlled lowering of a load.D is the correct answer.

Step-by-step explanation:

The best definition that describes an eccentric muscle contraction is, "D. During the movement, the muscle's attachments move apart from each other."

An eccentric contraction occurs as muscle tension diminishes and the muscle lengthens. For example, when lowering a hand weight, the biceps brachii relaxes and the angle of the elbow joint increases, moving the muscle's attachments apart from each other.

This type of contraction is important for controlling the lowering of loads and for balance and movement in the body.