Cross education

Cross education is a neurophysiological phenomenon where an increase in strength is witnessed within an untrained limb following unilateral strength training in the opposite, contralateral limb.[1]

Cross education can also be seen in the transfer of skills from one limb to the other.

Examples

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A resistance trainer witnesses strength gains in her left and right biceps after participating in a strength training program for only her right biceps. This phenomenon is due to factors at the muscular, spinal and neural levels.

A basketball player learns to dribble a basketball with his right hand and then successfully performs the task with his left hand even though he had undergone no previous training with his left side.

References

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  1. ^ Lee, M.; Carroll (2007). "Cross education: possible mechanisms for the contralateral effects of unilateral resistance training". Sports Medicine. 37 (1): 1–14. doi:10.2165/00007256-200737010-00001. ISSN 0112-1642. PMID 17190532. S2CID 38544147.