Chronic Comparison of Upper- and Lower-Body Muscle Soreness in Trained Individuals Completing Traditional or Accentuated Eccentric Loading.

Lis, R, Long, A, Goode, N, McDowell, K, Nelson, D, Mizuguchi, S, Duca, M, Baur, M, Wagle, JP, Fry, AC, and Stone, MH. Chronic comparison of upper- and lower-body muscle soreness in trained individuals completing traditional or accentuated eccentric loading. J Strength Cond Res 40(7): 739-746, 2026-The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of accentuated eccentric loading (AEL) and traditional resistance training (TRAD) in terms of muscular soreness in the barbell bench press (BP; anterior deltoid, triceps brachii, and pectoralis major) and back squat (BS; vastus lateralis and gluteus maximus). Eighteen recreationally active subjects (males: n = 12, age: 22.75 ± 4 years, BW: 89.42 ± 21.09 kg, BP one rep max [1RM]: 104.67 ± 23.58 kg, relative BP 1RM: 1.19 ± 0.22, BS 1RM: 140.75 ± 39.17 kg, relative BS 1RM: 1.59 ± 0.34, females: n = 6, age: 23.6 ± 4.5 years, BW: 64.3 ± 10.8 kg, BP 1RM: 51.7 ± 13.4 kg, relative BP 1RM: 0.80 ± 0.13, BS 1RM: 93.7 ± 18 kg, relative BS 1RM: 1.47 ± 0.30) completed 4 weeks of strength endurance training. Resistance training occurred 3 times a week (M, W, F), whereas speed and agility happened twice weekly (T and R). Subjects completed the 10-cm palpation and movement visual analog scale (PVAS and MVAS, respectively) immediately before (PRE) and after (POST) every training session. The lower-body (LB) musculature soreness statistically decreased over time for the AEL group only for the MVAS ( p < 0.05). The PVAS and MVAS showed statistically significant lower LB scores in AEL compared with TRAD. We conclude that AEL training appears to create less soreness, specifically within the LB when compared with TRAD. Practitioners should not be concerned about excessive soreness when completing AEL training.