Plenary
Professor Ken Nosaka, PhD
School of Medical and Health Sciences
Edith Cowan University
The Neuroscience of Eccentric Exercise
The term eccentric refers to something that is unconventional or unusual, or that is positioned away from the centre. In exercise and sports science, particularly exercise physiology, eccentric contraction refers to muscle lengthening while the muscle produces force against external load that exceeds the muscle force (load > force). For example, when walking downstairs, the quadriceps muscles lengthen under tension to control forward movement and lower the body. Exercise that predominantly involves eccentric contractions is termed “eccentric exercise.”
Eccentric exercise has several distinctive characteristics compared with concentric exercise, which predominantly involves muscle shortening contractions. First, muscles can produce 20–40% greater force in eccentric than concentric contractions. During repeated contractions, force is also better maintained during eccentric than concentric exercise. Furthermore, eccentric exercise requires less oxygen and is less metabolically demanding than concentric exercise performed at comparable workloads. Interestingly, maximal voluntary strength is better preserved with ageing for eccentric than concentric contractions. Emerging evidence also suggests that eccentric exercise places greater demands on cognitive processes than concentric exercise, highlighting the importance of understanding its effects from a neuroscience perspective.
One potential disadvantage of eccentric exercise is muscle damage manifested by delayed onset muscle soreness and prolonged reductions in muscle function. However, such damage can be attenuated through preconditioning strategies, including low-intensity eccentric contractions or high-intensity isometric contractions at long muscle lengths, as well as through repeated exposure to the same exercise, known as the repeated bout effect. These strategies can substantially reduce muscle damage, which is not a prerequisite for beneficial muscle adaptations.
Eccentric exercise training has been reported to improve muscle strength and mass, enhance insulin sensitivity, reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, lower systolic blood pressure, and improve functional physical fitness, to a greater extent than concentric exercise training. It also holds promise as a rehabilitation strategy for people with chronic conditions, including chronic heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, stroke, cancer, and dementia. My presentation will examine the distinctive characteristics and physiological effects of eccentric exercise from a neuroscience perspective. A deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying its effects on physical and cognitive function, health, ageing, and disease is essential to harness its potential for health promotion and chronic disease prevention. Our overarching goal is to establish a robust scientific basis for prescribing eccentric exercise as a form of medicine to help people become healthier, fitter, and happier, and to support healthy ageing and increase health span.
About Professor Nosaka
Professor Ken (Kazunori) Nosaka is an internationally recognised expert in exercise and sports science, renowned for his pioneering research into muscle damage and adaptation induced by eccentric exercise. Originally from Japan, he obtained his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in physical education from Tokyo Gakugei University and a PhD in Medical Science from Yokohama City University Medical School in Japan. After nearly two decades at Yokohama City University, he joined Edith Cowan University (ECU) in 2004.
During his time at ECU, Professor Nosaka has held several key academic leadership positions, including Director of Exercise and Sports Science, Postgraduate and Honours Research Coordinator, and PhD Coordinator within the School of Medical and Health Sciences. Appointed Professor in 2009, he has played a significant role in shaping ECU’s research culture and strengthening postgraduate research training in exercise and sports science. As he approaches his retirement from ECU in June 2027, he looks forward to embracing new challenges and opportunities in the next chapter of his professional journey.
Professor Nosaka’s research extends beyond understanding the mechanisms of eccentric exercise to exploring its applications in chronic disease prevention and rehabilitation, healthy ageing, fall and injury prevention, and the enhancement of athletic performance. Approximately 80% of his publications focus on these areas, reflecting his commitment to translating scientific discoveries into practical benefits for health, rehabilitation, and sports. With more than 400 peer-reviewed publications and an h-index of 78 in Scopus and 101 in Google Scholar, he has established an international research profile and cultivated a strong network of global collaborations.
Beyond his research achievements, Professor Nosaka is deeply committed to mentoring and developing the next generation of exercise scientists. Through his supervision of more than 40 PhD and 25 master’s students, he has made a lasting contribution to research training and academic development. His contributions to the university have been recognised through multiple awards for research excellence and community engagement, reflecting the breadth and impact of his work across scientific research and its practical applications.
