Training FAQ #8: What is "muscle memory"?
"Muscle memory" refers to the idea that the body has the ability to "remember" a prior state and return to it. In other words, if you've lifted for a while but take some time off, when you get back to the weights, it'll be easier for you to return to your original size and strength.
Some theory on that point....
Quote:
Originally Posted by
ministrssm
so come on, have at it, which is which and what does what. whats the final answer lads. id really like to know
There is a modern point of view, accepted as an official by some BB "scientists", as we may call them.
Due to that, you have a constant number of muscle tissue cells - "miofibrills" during all your life period. This kind of cell is multinuclear and looks like long rope that consists of many nucleuses.
The weight training may increase the number of nucleuses inside the cell, not the number of cells. Because of that your muscles are growing. This process is long. But the main component of quick muscle size increase is not that.
Due to high intensity training and glycogen spending as the result, muscles start to spare more glycogen for the next workouts as the result of adaptation. Plus 1 gram of glycogen retains 4 grams of water, because water is needed for the future transformation of glycogen to the main fuel - glucose.
Also muscles start to spare more creatine for a heavy lift (when you do up to 5 reps). Creatine also retains water a lot which becomes very visible when you start taking it in as a supplement.
Finally, muscles become pumped up by creatine, glycogen and water and is increased in size a lot.
When an individual makes a brake in the training, body, again as the result of adaptation, starts to understand, that the workload doesn't keep coming and that there is no need to spare fuel for that and drops out the excess of creatine, glycogen and water with it.
But not your hard earned nucleuses - you keep to carry it with pride.
When you start lifting again, body starts to accumulate creatine, glycogen and water and muscle size and strength increase goes pretty fast. Also the createed before mind-muscle tissue and visualisation skill help in that process a lot.
At this level theory looks just fine, but if to go deeper into practice, there are some facts to think about. For sure, the role of training is important, but there are also other parameters in the game like hormones and so on.
In fact, as one professor of medicine told me, they have made a postmorten of an old women, which died because of dystrophy (immobility and caloric deficit) at bodyweight 60 lbs. Under the skin, they have discovered just the connective tissue and bones - no muscles at all. So this professor can not fully agree with theory of constant number of muscle cells during life period.
If to summarize, lift hard, eat twice as big and keep rocking the f...ing house!!!