The Study
Comparison of the Effects of Eccentric, Concentric, and Eccentric-Concentric Isotonic Resistance Training at Two Velocities on Strength and Muscle Hypertrophy.
This study tried out five different ways of lifting weights and saw which ones made people stronger. Because people were picked by chance, we can guess that the weightlifting might have caused the strength gains — but we’re not totally sure because we don’t know if the people measuring the results were blinded.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
Kids did leg exercises for 12 weeks, some fast, some slow, some pushing up, some lowering down — all got stronger, but no one way was better than another.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 547 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — getting stronger by 25–41% is a big improvement for daily activities and sports.
- 2Leg strength (1RM) went up 25–41%.
- 3Muscle torque at slow speed went up 13–32%.
- 4Muscle size didn't change differently between groups.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
Year
2020
Authors
Gürcan Ünlü, C. Çevikol, T. Melekoğlu
Related Content
Claims (4)
If you lift and lower weights quickly or slowly, as long as you do both phases the same way, your muscles grow about the same amount—speed doesn’t make a big difference.
If young, healthy guys lift weights for 12 weeks, their muscles get stronger at moderate speeds — like kicking or swinging — and they can generate 13% to 32% more force, no matter how they did the lifting.
We don’t have enough proof to say whether lifting weights slowly or quickly, or pushing down vs. lifting up, is better for building stronger or bigger thigh muscles in young, healthy guys after 12 weeks of working out.
If young, healthy guys do strength training for 12 weeks using different types of muscle contractions—whether slow or fast—they’ll get significantly stronger in their thigh muscles, no matter which style they pick.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.