Muscles and exercise: how do we get stronger?

Question 1

What is a single AP on a muscle fibre known as?

Answer 1

A ‘spike’

Question 2

If the frequency of discharges increases, what happens to the force produced by the muscle?

Answer 2

The force produced by the muscle also increases

Question 3

What is ‘hypertrophy’?

Answer 3

An increase in muscle fibre size due to the addition of contractile proteins in the muscle cell.
Protein synthesis>protein breakdown

Question 4

What 3 factors does hypertrophy depend on?

Answer 4

• Initial strength
• Duration of training programme
• Training technique

Question 5

What are the 9 resistance training components?

Answer 5

1) Time-under-tension
2) Intensity
3) Sets
4) Repetitions
5) Velocity
6) Exercise order
7) Recovery between sets
8) Frequency
9) Exercise type

Question 6

What is ‘hyperplasia’?

Answer 6

Increase in the number of muscle fibres

There is not enough evidence to support hyperplasia occurring in humans

Question 7

Muscle protein balance - What is anabolism and its relationship to muscle protein synthesis (MPS) and muscle protein breakdown MPB)?

Answer 7

Muscle gain, where MPS>MPB

Question 8

Muscle protein balance - What is catabolism and its relationship to muscle protein synthesis (MPS) and muscle protein breakdown MPB)?

Answer 8

Muscle loss, where MPS<MPB

Question 9

What factors increase muscle protein synthesis?

Answer 9

1) Food (combined essential amino acids + insulin response)
2) Exercise

Question 10

What factors increase muscle protein breakdown?

Answer 10

1) Starvation
2) Stress
3) Injury/illness
4) Exercise

Question 11

What are the hypertrophy differences between muscle groups?

Answer 11

The upper body muscles appear to elicit greater hypertrophy with resistance training. Could be due to:
1) Habitual loading of lower extremities
2) Fibre-type composition