**2. Training device**

To study muscle protection of LDM under different stimulation patterns and drugs to improve muscular power an elastic training device was created, where the LDM was wrapped around and muscle performance could become evaluated [6].

The training device (Figure 3) is made of silicone rubber (Q3, Dow Corning). It consists of a central chamber and two compliant side bladders filled with saline solution. The barrel-shaped central chamber and the side bladders have volumes of 150 mL and 50 mL each, respectively. The side bladders are constructed with a compliance of 1.0 to 1.3 mL/mmHg, simulating the windkessel characteristics of the arterial system in normal subjects with 1.07 mL/mmHg. More technical details can be found elsewhere (Guldner et al.,1994; 2000).

**Figure 3.** The Frog, an elastic training device, made of silicone, consists of a central pumping chamber which is com‐ pressible but not extendible (carbon fibre mesh).
