flywheel training

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Flywheel training is a type of strength training where the resistance required for muscle activation is generated by the inertia of a flywheel instead of gravity from weights as in traditional weight training.

In contrast to weight training, flywheel training offers variable resistance throughout the range of motion, which facilitates isoinertial training and eccentric overload. Flywheel training is shown to lead to improvements of strength and power, hypertrophy, muscle activation, muscle length, and tendon stiffness. This in turn can improve athletic performance in speed, jump height, change of direction and resilience to injury.{{cite journal

|date = 2019-12-14

|title = Flywheel Training in Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation: A Clinical Commentary

|journal = International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy

|first = Jaap

|last = Wonders

|volume = 14

|issue = 6

|pages = 994–1000

|doi = 10.26603/ijspt20190994

|doi-broken-date = 1 November 2024

|pmid = 31803531

|pmc = 6878857

}}{{cite book

|title=Speed Strength: A Comprehensive Guide to Biomechanics, Demands and Training Methodology for Linear Speed

|last=Smith

|first=Joel

|year=2018

|publisher=Just fly sports

|isbn=978-1720694625

|page=202

}}

History

An early scientific research paper on flywheel training was conducted by researchers Hansen and Lindhard at the University of Copenhagen in 1924 and looked at the maximum realizable work of the elbow flexors.{{Cite web |last=Correa |first=Fredrik |authorlink=Fredrik Correa|date=2014-12-09 |title= What Every Coach Ought to Know About Flywheel Training

|url=https://www.freelapusa.com/what-every-coach-ought-to-know-about-flywheel-training/ |access-date=2022-04-10 |publisher=Freelap}}{{cite journal

|title = The maximum realisable work of the flexors of the elbow

|journal = The Journal of Physiology

|date = 1924-03-14

|first1 = T E

|last1 = Hansen

|first2 = J |last2 = Lindhard

|volume = 58

|issue = 4–5

|pages = 314–317

|doi = 10.1113/jphysiol.1924.sp002133

|pmid = 16993667

|pmc = 1405532

}}

After that, flywheel resistance training was studied in space travelers exposed to microgravity environments to fight the effects of sarcopenia and bone mineral density loss,{{cite journal |last1=Berg |first1=HE |last2=Tesch |first2=A |title=A gravity-independent ergometer to be used for resistance training in space |journal=Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine |date=August 1994 |volume=65 |issue=8 |pages=752–756 |pmid=7980338 |s2cid=23594693 |oclc=105722207 }}{{cite journal

|title = Optimization of Exercise Countermeasures for Human Space Flight: Operational Considerations for Concurrent Strength and Aerobic Training

|journal = Frontiers in Physiology

|date = 2019-05-16

|first = Thomas W.

|last = Jones

|volume = 10

|page = 584

|doi = 10.3389/fphys.2019.00584

|pmid = 31156461

|pmc = 6532362

|display-authors=etal

|doi-access = free

}} started at Karolinska Institute in the 1990s funded by NASA and ESA. Since then, flywheel training has been studied in different populations like youth{{Cite journal|pmc = 7739302|year = 2019|last1 = Drury|first1 = B.|last2 = Ratel|first2 = S.|last3 = Clark|first3 = C. C.|last4 = Fernandes|first4 = J. F.|last5 = Moran|first5 = J.|last6 = Behm|first6 = D. G.|title = Eccentric Resistance Training in Youth: Perspectives for Long-Term Athletic Development|journal = Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology|volume = 4|issue = 4|page = 70|doi = 10.3390/jfmk4040070|pmid = 33467385|doi-access = free}}{{Cite journal|pmc=8038127|year=2021|last1=Westblad|first1=N.|last2=Petré|first2=H.|last3=Kårström|first3=A.|last4=Psilander|first4=N.|last5=Björklund|first5=G.|title=The Effect of Autoregulated Flywheel and Traditional Strength Training on Training Load Progression and Motor Skill Performance in Youth Athletes|journal=International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health|volume=18|issue=7|page=3479|doi=10.3390/ijerph18073479|pmid=33801621|doi-access=free}}{{Cite journal|pmc=7908554|year=2021|last1=Stojanović|first1=M. D.|last2=Mikić|first2=M.|last3=Drid|first3=P.|last4=Calleja-González|first4=J.|last5=Maksimović|first5=N.|last6=Belegišanin|first6=B.|last7=Sekulović|first7=V.|title=Greater Power but Not Strength Gains Using Flywheel Versus Equivolumed Traditional Strength Training in Junior Basketball Players|journal=International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health|volume=18|issue=3|page=1181|doi=10.3390/ijerph18031181|pmid=33572738|doi-access=free}}{{cite journal |last1=di Cagno |first1=Alessandra |last2=Iuliano |first2=Enzo |last3=Buonsenso |first3=Andrea |last4=Giombini |first4=Arrigo |last5=Di Martino |first5=Giulia |last6=Parisi |first6=Attilio |last7=Calcagno |first7=Giuseppe |last8=Fiorilli |first8=Giovanni |title=Effects of Accentuated Eccentric Training vs Plyometric Training on Performance of Young Elite Fencers |journal=Journal of Sports Science & Medicine |date=19 November 2020 |volume=19 |issue=4 |pages=703–713 |pmid=33239944 |pmc=7675629 }} and professional athletes,{{Cite journal|pmc = 7760400|year = 2020|last1 = Sánchez-Díaz|first1 = S.|last2 = Yanci|first2 = J.|last3 = Castillo|first3 = D.|last4 = Scanlan|first4 = A. T.|last5 = Raya-González|first5 = J.|title = Effects of Nutrition Education Interventions in Team Sport Players. A Systematic Review|journal = Nutrients|volume = 12|issue = 12|page = 3664|doi = 10.3390/nu12123664|pmid = 33260504|doi-access = free}}{{Cite journal|pmc=5765793|year=2017|last1=Maroto-Izquierdo|first1=S.|last2=García-López|first2=D.|last3=De Paz|first3=J. A.|title=Functional and Muscle-Size Effects of Flywheel Resistance Training with Eccentric-Overload in Professional Handball Players|journal=Journal of Human Kinetics|volume=60|pages=133–143|doi=10.1515/hukin-2017-0096|doi-broken-date=2 December 2024 |pmid=29339993}}{{Cite journal|pmc=7739426|year=2019|last1=McNeill|first1=C.|last2=Beaven|first2=C. M.|last3=McMaster|first3=D. T.|last4=Gill|first4=N.|title=Eccentric Training Interventions and Team Sport Athletes|journal=Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology|volume=4|issue=4|page=67|doi=10.3390/jfmk4040067|pmid=33467382|doi-access=free}} as well as older adults.{{Cite journal|pmc = 7739307|year = 2019|last1 = Kowalchuk|first1 = K.|last2 = Butcher|first2 = S.|title = Eccentric Overload Flywheel Training in Older Adults|journal = Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology|volume = 4|issue = 3|page = 61|doi = 10.3390/jfmk4030061|pmid = 33467376|doi-access = free}}{{cite journal |last1=Sañudo |first1=Borja |last2=González-Navarrete |first2=Ángeles |last3=Álvarez-Barbosa |first3=Francisco |last4=de Hoyo |first4=Moisés |last5=del Pozo |first5=Jesús |last6=Rogers |first6=Michael E. |title=Effect of Flywheel Resistance Training on Balance Performance in Older Adults. A Randomized Controlled Trial |journal=Journal of Sports Science & Medicine |date=1 June 2019 |volume=18 |issue=2 |pages=344–350 |pmid=31191105 |pmc=6543991 }}{{Cite journal|pmc=6794371|year=2019|last1=Bruseghini|first1=P.|last2=Capelli|first2=C.|last3=Calabria|first3=E.|last4=Rossi|first4=A. P.|last5=Tam|first5=E.|title=Effects of High-Intensity Interval Training and Isoinertial Training on Leg Extensors Muscle Function, Structure, and Intermuscular Adipose Tissue in Older Adults|journal=Frontiers in Physiology|volume=10|page=1260|doi=10.3389/fphys.2019.01260|pmid=31649552|doi-access=free}}{{cite journal |last1=Sañudo |first1=Borja |last2=de Hoyo |first2=Moisés |last3=McVeigh |first3=Joseph G. |title=Improved Muscle Strength, Muscle Power, and Physical Function After Flywheel Resistance Training in Healthy Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial |journal=Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research |date=January 2022 |volume=36 |issue=1 |pages=252–258 |doi=10.1519/JSC.0000000000003428 |pmid=32040028 |s2cid=211073409 }}

Current evidence suggests that flywheel training-based training is superior to gravity-based training for increasing muscle strength, power, and hypertrophy.{{cite journal

|date = 2018-12-13

|title = Effects of Flywheel Training on Strength-Related Variables: a Meta-analysis

|journal = Sports Medicine - Open

|first1 = Henrik

|last1 = Petré

|author-link = Henrik Petré

|first2 = Fredrik

|last2 = Wernstål

|first3 = C. Mikael

|last3 = Mattsson

|volume = 4

|issue = 1

|page = 55

|doi = 10.1186/s40798-018-0169-5

|pmid = 30547232

|pmc = 6292829

|s2cid = 56485869

|doi-access = free

}}{{cite journal |last1=Maroto-Izquierdo |first1=Sergio |last2=García-López |first2=David |last3=Fernandez-Gonzalo |first3=Rodrigo |last4=Moreira |first4=Osvaldo C. |last5=González-Gallego |first5=Javier |last6=de Paz |first6=José A. |title=Skeletal muscle functional and structural adaptations after eccentric overload flywheel resistance training: a systematic review and meta-analysis |journal=Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport |date=October 2017 |volume=20 |issue=10 |pages=943–951 |doi=10.1016/j.jsams.2017.03.004 |pmid=28385560 }}{{cite journal

|title = Early Functional and Morphological Muscle Adaptations During Short-Term Inertial-Squat Training

|journal = Frontiers in Physiology

|date = 2018-09-10

|first = Víctor

|last = Illera-Domínguez

|volume = 9

|page = 1265

|doi = 10.3389/fphys.2018.01265

|pmid = 30246805

|pmc = 6139363

|display-authors=etal

|doi-access = free