The Effects of Delorme and Oxford Techniques on Serum Cell Injury Indices and Growth Factor in Untrained Women

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of pyramid and reverse pyramid resistance trainings on serum cell injury indices (CK, AST, ALD) and growth factor (IGF-1) in untrained women. Also, it tried to assess the possible relationship between them. 34 subjects (age 18.5±2.20 years, weight 56±9.86 kg, height 162±5.33 cm( participated in this study and were randomly assigned to pyramid training (PT) (N=12), reverse pyramid training (RPT) (N=12) and control groups (CON) (N=10). The two experimental groups performed resistance training 3 days a week for 6 weeks. The pyramid group started their first set of ten repetitions at 50% of 10 RM, the second set of ten at 75% of 10 RM and the third set of ten at the 100% of 10 RM. The reverse pyramid group performed their sets quite the reverse: 100% of 10 RM, 75% of 10 RM and 50% of 10 RM. Blood samples were gathered before (T1) and 24 hours after (T2) the first training session and before (T3) and 24 hours after (T4) the last training session. ANOVA and t test were used to compare data. At T2, CK increased in both groups with no difference observed among the groups. After 6 weeks, there was no change in AST and ALD but CK increased again and this increase was lower compared to the first session (it was only significant in RP group). In fact, CK increment had a significant decrease in the last session compared to the first session in the PT group, which indicated that adaptations occurred. IGF-1 had no significant change and there was no relationship between growth factor and cell injury indices. After 6 weeks, adaptations occurred in response to CK and muscles underwent little pressure or even injury. These two methods had similar effects on growth factor response, but enzyme response was greater in Oxford method. Both methods were found to be efficient at developing strength.