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As would be expected EIMD has a negative impact on dynamic movement. Immediate decrements of peak power and rate of force development have been shown (Sargeant & Dolan, 1987; Twist & Eston, 2005), with continued decrease then expected as DOMS begins. Therefore the strength and conditioning coach must always be mindful of the symptoms of EIMD when planning and periodising programs for their athletes.
 
The athletes training experience and/or experience with the particular type of training and a general common sense approach will reduce the athletes’ susceptibility of EIMD.
 
Tips for reducing the symptoms of EIMD:
  1. The training volume should replicate the athletes’ experience, if experience is low then volume low and visa versa.
  2. When high intensity exercise protocols are prescribed such as plyometrics and above maximal load eccentric training an ascending volume prescription would be advisable for athletes tissue to become accustom to the stress
  3. Exercise protocols that induce EIMD should be kept far enough away from competition within the athletes’ periodisation so as not to affect performance. 
  4. Repeated bout effect (RBE) is a technique that has been shown to reduce the symptoms of EIMD
 
The RBE put simply is a single bout of eccentric exercise that provides protective adaptation to the symptoms of EIMD from future training (Davies, 2010).  Protection from RBE can start within a matter of days and last from a few weeks up to 6 months. As little as 2 maximal eccentric contractions or 30 contractions at just 10% of maximal voluntary contraction have been found to elicit RBE (Davies, 2010). As of yet no studies have found or confirmed the mechanisms that underlie RBE but theories of neural, cellular and mechanical factors have all been suggested.
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