Some studies point toward muscle damage as the most important element, while others argue that there’s more going on behind the scenes. Unfortunately, the jury is out regarding which of these factors reigns supreme. Metabolic Stress can be thought of as an accumulation of biological “waste” products like lactate that build up over the course of strenuous activity, as well as the energy demands of repairing any damage. This often occurs in the form of microscopic tears or lesions in the fibers themselves. Muscle Damage is the actual physical breakdown of muscle tissue that results from excessive tension. Mechanical Tension refers to the physical force of external resistance (think a barbell or even your own body weight) placed upon a given muscle. What constitutes muscular trauma, exactly? Most scientific literature has arrived at the conclusion that muscular hypertrophy is the result of three primary factors: ( 4) That trauma is mended in the hours and days following a bout of exercise, and in the process, your muscles rebuild stronger - and bigger - than they were before. When your muscles are tasked with challenges they’re not used to, such as resistance training, they experience trauma. When you mix the right ingredients together, you can (usually) produce a reliable result. The beauty of the scientific method is its consistency. (Though some researchers have managed to elicit some impressive muscle gains in cats and other animal trainees.) ( 2)( 3)įor all intents and purposes, hypertrophy is merely what happens as a result of dedicated physical activity paired with a proper diet and the secret ingredient - time. The latter is called hyperplasia, which hasn’t been conclusively confirmed to occur as a result of exercise habits in human beings. If you’re a sucker for specificity, there’s another distinction worth noting - muscular hypertrophy is about enlarging your existing muscle tissue, and not necessarily creating new muscle from scratch. However, in the world of fitness and physical training, hypertrophy refers to the process by which exercise creates and encourages muscle growth. In the simplest terms, hypertrophy is synonymous with “ getting bigger.” In the medical and scientific communities, hypertrophy describes the growth or enlargement of any organ or tissue. Speak with your physician if you have any concerns. The opinions and articles on this site are not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. Note: The content on BarBend is meant to be informative in nature, but it shouldn’t take the place of advice and/or supervision from a medical professional. Consider this your introduction to the machinery of muscle growth. No matter your motivation for gains, you need to know how hypertrophy works before you can get after it. And, for the average human, hypertrophy is an insurance policy that helps guarantee a long and healthy life. For strength athletes, it is a tangential but welcomed benefit of dedicated physical training. For bodybuilders, it’s literally everything. Hypertrophy is the process by which you grow muscle. A big part of that kind of heroic image comes down to being in fantastic shape. Pro wrestlers, your favorite masked (or caped) superhero, and your older sibling all have something in common - at a young age, they probably seemed larger than life.
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