Muscle memory Flashcards
What is muscle memory?
A cellular mechanism that explains the capacity of muscle fibers to respond differently to a training stimulus if previously encountered.
What is the Myonuclear Permanence Theory?
A hypothesis suggesting that myonuclei increase during resistance training and are retained during muscle atrophy, allowing for faster muscle regrowth during retraining.
What does the Epigenetic Theory propose?
Exercise acts as a hypomethylating stimulus, keeping key genes related to hypertrophy active even during detraining, allowing for enhanced gene expression during retraining.
True or False: Myonuclei are lost indefinitely during long-term detraining.
True
What did rodent model studies reveal about myonuclear permanence?
Mixed results; some studies showed myonuclear decline during atrophy while others showed no change.
What was the finding of the study by Lee et al. (2018) on rodent models?
Pre-trained muscles make greater hypertrophic gains after retraining compared to untrained muscles.
What was the conclusion of Snijders et al. (2020) regarding muscle memory?
No consensus on the existence of muscle memory by myonuclear permanence in human skeletal muscle.
What did the study by Seaborne et al. (2018) suggest about hypomethylation?
Hypomethylation was maintained during unloading, with significant muscle mass increase during loading and reloading phases.
List three populations that muscle memory is potentially relevant to.
- Injured athletes undergoing rehabilitation
- Older adults after a period of inactivity
- Previously trained individuals
What is one recommendation for previously trained individuals after inactivity?
They should move as soon as possible to ensure muscle memory does not dissipate.
What are the implications of muscle memory for anti-doping policies?
If significant, individuals using performance-enhancing drugs may retain long-term advantages, potentially requiring longer doping bans.
What are two research gaps identified in the study of muscle memory?
- Limited studies on elite trained and older individuals
- Unclear duration of myonuclear or epigenetic memory
Fill in the blank: Muscle memory may help reduce the risk of _______ in older adults.
[sarcopenia or falls]
What is one tentative recommendation for individuals during periods of detraining?
Regularly perform resistance training to potentially show a faster recovery.
True or False: There is currently a meta-analysis confirming the certainty of the Epigenetic Theory.
False
What did Horwath et al. (2024) find regarding myonuclei in human gastrocnemius muscle fibers?
No detectable loss of myonuclei after 6 weeks of immobilization.
What aspect of muscle memory requires further research according to the text?
Whether muscle memory by myonuclear retention plays a role in reconditioning humans.
What is the potential benefit of muscle memory for previously trained individuals?
Faster and more efficient regrowth of trained muscles during retraining.
