The benefits of training your uninjured side

Have you ever sustained an injury and thought life was over?

Your gym days are numbered and all your hard earned gains were diminishing?

Well I have news for you, you can totally work around being injured!!!

Suffering an injury can have a profoundly negative
effect on your physique and mental health. I've seen countless
people go into a mild state of depression after getting hurt. (myself included)

They tend to focus on all the things they can't  do, now that
they're hurt and abandon their training in favor of bed rest.

Generally, injuries necessitate complete rest to minimize
localized edema (swelling due to inflammation), for 2-7 days.

Considering the importance of training consistency, it's
very important that training resumes as soon as
possible.

The typical injury process goes something like:

• You get hurt

• You go to the doctor

• The doctor gives you drugs, and tells you what not to
do

• You take the drugs, and don't do what you're told not to
do (because we know ourselves best right?)

So you’re drugged up, told to basically stop doing what you love and just sit tight till everything is all better.

Which means we are left with two options: 1, listen to the doctor and just do nothing till you’re healthy OR 2, you work around the injury (of course this depends the severity of your injury)

So let’s explore option 2

Injuries can be a frustrating and demotivating time, especially if you let them keep you away from training.   A tailored exercise routine during a time of injury can still benefit you.

Research shows that tailoring exercises correctly has not only been shown to strengthen the uninvolved side but maintain strength and sometimes even muscles mass in the injured limb.

If for example you broke a bone or fractured your left arm, you can certainly continue to goto the gym and strengthen your lower body, along with forms of cardio.

But having the left arm injured, do you stop training the right side because you don’t want to become imbalanced?

Studies have actually showed an important rehabilitation strategy, is training the non injured side

(this case being the right arm) to help increase recovery.

Resistance training is a powerful stimulus for neuromuscular adaptation.

They call this wonderful miracle Cross-education

What is the Cross-Education Effect?

The cross-education phenomenon is when the strength gain in the opposite, untrained limb following unilateral contralateral resistance training takes place.

1.    Neural Adaptations: Cross-education is thought to be mediated by changes in the central nervous system, including increased activity in the motor cortex and greater inter-limb coordination.

For example, a study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology found that cross-education was associated with increased activation in the primary motor cortex and greater inter-limb coordination.

2.    Hormonal Responses: Hormonal responses to training have also been suggested as a mechanism of cross-education. For example, increased levels of growth hormone and testosterone in response to resistance training may contribute to improved strength and muscle growth in both limbs.

3.    Structural Changes: Cross-education may also be mediated by structural changes in the muscles, such as increased muscle fiber size. For example, a study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology found that cross-education was associated with increased muscle fiber size in both limbs.

4.    Neuromuscular changes: It has also been suggested that cross-education may be a result of changes in the way the nervous system controls the muscles. For example, a study published in the Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology found that cross-education was associated with changes in the timing and amplitude of muscle activation in both limbs.

Sounds nice, but where’s the proof?

Lepley and colleagues conducted a study, testing the effect of exercise on quadriceps strength and muscle activation in an uninvolved limb. (1)

The exercising group exercised their uninjured limb 3x/week for 8 weeks and the study again concluded that greater strength and activation occurred in the unexercised limb in the exercising group when compared to the control group. (1)

Similarly, a study conducted by Derakhti and colleagues tested the effect of unilateral training to either the left or right leg in 20 previously untrained individuals. (2)

The study was conducted over 10 weeks (34 sessions) of single-leg exercise completing both the leg press and leg extension. (2)

This study also concluded that the 10-week program resulted in a significant increase in both maximal strength and muscle size in the untrained leg, again demonstrating a cross-education effect. (2)

Keep your head up because there is HOPE!

So performing exercises while you’re hurt should allow you to improve, or at least maintain the strength in your healthy limb and minimize the losses on your injured side.

As an added benefit, you will be able to keep pushing yourself, which will help you keep a positive outlook.

Improvements are seen in the upper and lower extremities during training with reported strength gains of the contralateral limb, generally between 10-77% of the healthy limb.

This means that as counterintuitive as it seems, you can break a bone, tear a tendon or ligament, or sustain some sort of serious injury requiring total training shutdown of that limb and still preserve your strength and muscle mass of the injured limb by training only the opposing limb.

So how should you go about training?

Training for cross-education involves performing exercises that target the untrained limb in a way that promotes neural adaptations and muscle growth. The following are some general guidelines for training the untrained limb to promote cross-education:

1.    Use progressive resistance training: Progressive resistance training involves gradually increasing the resistance or load used in exercises over time. This can help promote muscle growth and neural adaptations in the untrained limb.

2.    Incorporate unilateral exercises: Unilateral exercises, such as single-leg squats or single-arm dumbbell rows, can be effective for training the untrained limb. These exercises require greater activation of the muscles in the untrained limb and can help promote cross-education.

3.    Focus on proper technique and form: Proper technique and form are important for promoting cross-education and preventing injury. It's important to perform exercises with good technique and form to ensure that the correct muscles are being targeted and to avoid compensations that may interfere with cross-education.

4.    Train frequently: Training the untrained limb frequently, such as 2-3 times per week, can help promote cross-education by providing sufficient stimulus for muscle growth and neural adaptations.

5.    Gradually increase the difficulty: As the untrained limb becomes stronger, it's important to gradually increase the difficulty of exercises to continue promoting cross-education. This can be done by increasing the resistance or load used in exercises, performing more difficult variations of exercises, or incorporating new exercises that target different muscles.

The ideal number of reps and intensity for cross-education training depends on several factors, such as the individual's fitness level, the severity of the injury or asymmetry, and the specific goals of the training.

Here are some general guidelines:

1.     Repetitions: Research suggests that performing a high volume of repetitions may be beneficial for promoting cross-education. For example, a study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology found that performing 100 repetitions of a unilateral knee extension exercise resulted in greater strength gains in both the trained and untrained limbs compared to performing only 20 repetitions. However, it's important to note that the number of repetitions will depend on the individual's current strength level and the specific exercise being performed.

2.     Intensity: The optimal intensity for cross-education training is also dependent on the individual and their specific goals.

Generally, training with moderate to high intensity (60-80% of one-rep max) is recommended for promoting muscle growth and neural adaptations in the untrained limb.

However, individuals with severe injuries or conditions may need to train at a lower intensity to avoid exacerbating the injury.

Disclaimer

It's important to note that the specifics of a cross-education training program will depend on the individual and their specific needs. It's best to consult with a medical professional or physical therapist to develop a training program that is safe and effective for your individual situation.

In conclusion, training your uninjured side can aid in the recovery process by promoting balance, preventing muscle wasting, and improving joint stability.

However, it is important to seek the guidance of a medical professional or physical therapist to determine the best course of action for your specific injury and recovery goals.

Reference

1. Lepley LK, Palmieri-Smith RM. Cross-education strength and activation after eccentric exercise. Journal of athletic training. 2014 Oct;49(5):582-9.

2. Derakhti M, Åkerlund J. Cross Education;: The effect of 10 weeks of unilateral resistance training on strength and hypertrophy.