The Contribution of the Neuromuscular System in the Repeated Bout Effect

Maximal eccentric contractions induce an immediate strength loss that results from skeletal muscle damage, the symptoms of which can persist for several days after the exercise insult. The repeated bout effect (RBE) refers to the acute adaptive response precipitated from a single bout of eccentric contractions that result in an attenuated damage response on subsequent, potentially damaging, bouts of exercise. The mechanisms for this adaptive response are thought to be, at least in part, from neural adaptations.