CHAPTER 5

Resistance Training Adaptations

What will you learn today?

How do you NATURALLY How do muscles How much muscle can you
increase ACTUALLY grow? build NATURALLY?
TESTOSTERONE?
ACUTE ADAPTATIONS
 During Exercise
Neurological Changes
○ Increased Muscle Recruitment
■ Up to 90% MVC -> recruitment of additional MU
● then firing rate will need to increase

○ Increased Firing Rate/Rate Coding

■ # of AP per unit of time
○ Precision

Smaller muscles depend more on RC while

larger muscles depend on MR
○ Size Principle
■ Smaller MU are recruited before larger MU
● The diameter of motor neuron (at axon hillock) determines its threshold for activation
What is the main energy system
of type II fibers?
During Exercise

● Muscular Changes
○ Accumulation Fatigue
■ Skeletal muscle metabolites

● Hydrogen ions, Pi, Dihydrogen

phosphate (H2PO4-) and ammonia

○ Depletion Fatigue
■ Creatine Phos. (CP)

● CP is essential in phosphorylation of
ADP to ATP

■ Glycogen

Consequence of metabolic pathway

stressed during exercise
 ACUTE ADAPTATIONS

● Endocrine Changes ○ Influencing factors:

○ Increased epinephrine • Volume
■ Results in the breakdown of • Rest periods
glycogen and fat • Active muscle mass – “I only
● Maintains ATP levels need to work out my upper body
■ May also be efficacious to CNS bro”
● MU activation • Sex
• Age
○ Increased steroid hormones
■ Testosterone and Growth Hormone
● Repeated increases in these
hormones may lead to long-term
muscle accretion
■ Cortisol
● Degrade tissue to maintain
homeostasis
○ Blood glucose
 ACUTE ADAPTATIONS

To Increase Testosterone Concentration: To optimize adrenal hormones (i.e.: Cortisol)

● Large-muscle group exercises (e.g, deadlifts) Concentration:
● Heavy Resistance (85% TO 95% OF 1RM) OR ● Large muscles, high volume and short
moderate to high volume (multiple sets and rest periods (< 60s).
exercises) ● Vary training protocols so adrenal gland
● Rest intervals between 60-90 seconds can engage in recovery process and
prevent chronic catabolic effects
To Increase Growth Hormone Concentration:
● Workouts that elevate lactate (high intensity)
● Multiple sets
● Rest intervals ~60 seconds
● Supplement diet with carbs and protein before
and after the sessions
 SUMMARY OF ACUTE RESPONSES
MANIPULATING THE ENDOCRINE
SYSTEM NATURALLY
CHRONIC ADAPTATIONS
 NEUROLOGICAL CHANGES

○ Mainly seen in the first

6-12 weeks
○ Discrepancy between hypertrophic
and strength increases
■ Increased neural drive
■ Increased EMG amplitude

○ Increased MU recruitment
○ Increased MU firing rate
○ Decreased co-activation
○ Cross-education
 MUSCLE TISSUE CHANGES
● Muscle Hypertrophy
■ Protein synthesis > protein degradation
○ Seen in both fiber types
● However more pronounced in Type II
■ Increased CSA
■ Increase in the size and # of myofibrils
■ Muscle cell hyperplasia?

○ Shift in fiber subtype from Type

IIx to Type Ila
■ Likely reflect a change in
myosin heavy chain
composition
● Resistance training alters
not only quantity of muscle
but also the quality
 2 Roads to Induce Muscle Hypertrophy

Mechanical Metabolic
Stress Stress
Heav
repe y loads, , m ore
tition l es s ds
s (8
to 1 2 i g h t loa s (> 20)
L
)
e p e tition
r

Performed
Near or
to Fatigue
 CHRONIC ADAPTATIONS
Increase in cytoskeletal and structural proteins (t-tubules, actin, myosin, tropomyosin,
troponin, etc).
■ Force transmission from myofibrils to extracellular matrix
■ Storage of elastic energy (stretch-shortening cycle activities)
● Strength/power athletes have been shown to have greater levels of titin
 CHRONIC ADAPTATIONS
● Skeletal Changes
○ Bone formation is most affected by strain placed on the bone

○ Weight bearing exercises place significant strain on the bone

○ Research has mainly been conducted on those at risk for osteoporosis

■ Postmenopausal women
● Decline in endogenous estrogen production

■ Resistance training on peak bone mass (achieved prior to age 40) OR

■ Resistance training on bone mass decline due to aging
 CHRONIC ADAPTATIONS

● Connective Tissue Changes

○ Increase in tendon CSA
■ May depend on sport/activity and gender
● LDR vs. Kayaker
● Badminton & Fencing
● Male vs. Female LDRs

○ Changes in the mechanical properties

■ Musculotendinous stiffness (amount of force per unit of
tendon length change under load)
● Appears dependent on load
 CHRONIC ADAPTATIONS
● Metabolic Changes
○ Phosphagen System
■ No concentration change in ATP
or CP
■ No concentration change in
myokinase or creatine kinase

○ Glycolytic System
■ No concentration change in PFK,
lactate dehydrogenase, etc.
■ May be volume dependent since
some bodybuilders (vs. power)
have been shown to have similar
glycolytic enzyme concentrations
as aerobic athletes
 CHRONIC ADAPTATIONS
● Endocrine Changes
○ Resting levels of hormones are not likely to
change
○ Transient changes during an exercise bout may
influence muscle hypertrophy over time
○ Increase in # of receptors

● Cardiorespiratory Changes
○ May augment cardiovascular endurance
development
○ Resistance training will not directly affect
VO2peak
■ No changes (or decreases) in aerobic
enzymes and mitochondrial density
○ Increased capillarization
 CHRONIC ADAPTATIONS

● Body Composition Changes

○ 2-component body composition
model
■ Fat-free mass
■ Fat mass

○ Fat percent decreases

■ Increases in FFM
■ Increases in energy demand in
between exercises
■ Possibly increases resting energy
expenditure
How Much Muscle Can You Gain?

● If you do everything right (diet, training,

stress management and quality of sleep).

Maximum Natural Potential:

● Males: 20-40 pounds
○ 9-18kg

● Females: 12-24 pounds

○ 5-12kg
CHRONIC ADAPTATIONS SUMMARY
 INFLUENCING FACTORS

● Specificity
○ The body adapts to exercise in such a way that it can optimally
perform in relation to the particular type of exercise stressor
○ Dynamic vs. static exercise
○ Velocity of muscle actions

Rutherford et al. 1986 EJAP

 INFLUENCING FACTORS
● Sex ● Age
○ Largely driven by differences in ○ Muscle mass begins to decline beginning
in the 30s
hormone levels
■ Sarcopenia
■ Men have 10 times the
testosterone levels of women ○ High-threshold MU are most affected

■ Body composition ○ Elderly are still able to gain muscle mass

and strength
■ Muscle size and strength
(mainly seen in the upper ● Genetics
body) ○ Evidence emerging about genetic ceiling
and basement

○ When assessed relatively to FFM

Human beings do not pick their
or per unit CSA
successful activities as much as
■ Differences disappear
activities pick them
 OVERTRAINING
● Overtraining a muscle group or the whole body (either or both)
○ Increasing volume too fast
○ Not enough variation in the intensity (too high for too long)
● Symptoms
1. Plateau then decrease in strength gains
2. Sleep disturbances
3. Decrease in lean body mass
4. Decreased appetite
5. Sickness that won’t go away
6. Flu-like symptoms
7. Loss of interest in training
8. Mood changes
9. Excessive muscle soreness
 DETRAINING
The physiological and performance adaptations following cessation of
training

● Exactly the opposite of the training adaptations

○ Fast twitch fibers atrophy faster than slow

● Detraining from resistance training occurs at a relatively

slow rate
○ Muscle mass and strength gains can persist above pre-training levels for up to
8 months

● May be significantly reduced by just one or two training

sessions per week
○ If clients become extremely busy, they may just need to come in once or twice
a week to maintain a certain level of strength and avoid losing their gains