Overview
This lecture explains the concept of muscle memory and why regaining previous strength and muscle size after a break is faster than building it for the first time.
Muscle Memory Concept
- Muscle memory refers to the ability to quickly regain lost strength and muscle after a training break.
- Returning to previous fitness levels takes less time compared to the initial training period.
Role of the Central Nervous System
- Learning motor skills like squats stores movement information in the cerebellum, a brain region.
- Practice makes you more efficient at a movement due to neuromuscular programming.
- After a long break, your body “remembers” how to perform movements efficiently.
Muscle Cell Adaptations
- Training increases the number of myonuclei (muscle nuclei) within muscle cells, making them stronger and bigger.
- Old belief: muscle nuclei are lost when you stop training due to atrophy and apoptosis.
- Current research: most myonuclei remain in muscle cells even after long periods without training.
- Retained myonuclei speed up regaining muscle size and strength upon retraining.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Muscle Memory — The phenomenon of regaining lost strength and muscle more quickly after resuming training.
- Cerebellum — The brain region responsible for storing motor skill information.
- Myonuclei — Nuclei within muscle cells that help control muscle growth and repair.
- Apoptosis — Programmed cell death.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review the concepts of motor learning and muscle cell adaptations.
- Consider researching recent studies on muscle memory and myonuclei retention.