Interestingly, the findings of this one do not support the notion that muscle fiber type composition can explain the high variability in resistance training adaptations when training is performed to failure.
- Considerable inter-individual heterogeneity exists in the muscular adaptations to resistance training.
- It has been proposed that fast-twitch fibers are more sensitive to hypertrophic stimuli and thus that variation in muscle fiber type composition is a contributing factor to the magnitude of training response.
- This study investigated if the inter-individual variability in resistance training adaptations is determined by muscle typology and if the most appropriate weekly training frequency depends on muscle typology.
- 11 slow and 10 fast typology strength-training novices were selected to participate in this study by the non-invasive measurement of muscle carnosine with proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy.
- The main finding of the study is that muscle typology is seemingly not an important factor to explain the inter-individual variability in hypertrophy and strength adaptations when training is performed at 60% 1RM to failure.
However, the slow-twitch group performed significantly more repetitions and a higher training volume than the fast-twitch group to obtain the same muscle gains.
- Interestingly, and despite earlier findings of higher recovery needs and higher susceptibility for overtraining in individuals with a greater proportion of fast-twitch fibers, this group had no problems of coping with a resistance training frequency of 3x/week.
- "This is an important finding as further analysis of the data, regardless of muscle typology, revealed an advantage of training 3x/week to optimize muscle hypertrophy in all trained muscles."
In English:
- Therefore, these findings do not support the notion that having a greater proportion of type II fibers is beneficial to yield superior resistance training adaptations.
Can muscle typology explain the inter-individual variability in resistance training adaptations?
In this one, higher sedentary time was found associated with adverse cardiac structural measures, while higher light physical activity was associated with better cardiac function in adolescents.
- This study examined the independent relationships of device-based measured sedentary time and physical activity in relation to cardiac structural and functional geometry among adolescents.
- Higher sedentary time was associated with higher left ventricular mass indexed for height, while higher moderate-to-physical activity was also paradoxically associated with higher left ventricular mass indexed for height.
The findings of this study suggest that even short-term inactivity can have a detrimental impact on bone density, even in young and mostly healthy individuals.
- The study examined changes in anthropometry, body composition, and physical activity associated with changes in estimated bone mineral density in young men at the beginning and again 18 weeks later at the end of basic military training.
- At the end of basic training, the participants were by average heavier, slightly taller, and had higher fat mass and grip strength.
The findings of this one suggest that strength athletes have distinct mitochondrial characteristics with decreased mitochondrial profile size, increased numeric density, increased cristae density and increased surface-to-volume ratio, providing an optimised mitochondrial network.
- Substantial mitochondrial structural remodelling appeared to exist in the skeletal muscle of chronically strength-trained athletes (elite power and Olympic weightlifters).
- Despite similar mitochondrial volumetric density, the mitochondria of strength athletes were characterised by smaller size, increased number of mitochondrial profiles, increased cristae density, and increased surface-to-volume ratio.
This one not only supports the notion that the physical contact between lipid droplets and mitochondria are a direct pathway for fatty acid delivery to the mitochondrion, it suggests exercise can mediate this contact and that this effect is not affected by metabolic health status
- The interconnected nature of the mitochondrial network in the skeletal muscle provides a rapid mechanism for energy production and cellular distribution during exercise.
- The intramuscular mitochondria also form physical membrane-to-membrane contact with triglycerides containing lipid droplets,which isconsidered a direct pathway for fatty acid delivery to the mitochondrion for beta-oxidation.
In this one, US adults with higher total carotenoids levels had a lower prevalence of emphysema and chronic bronchitis and lower mortality of respiratory disease.
- This study examined the association of total carotenoids, alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lutein/zeaxanthin and lycopene with the prevalence of asthma, emphysema and chronic bronchitis, and mortality of all-cause and respiratory disease.
- Individuals with higher total carotenoids and beta-cryptoxanthin levels had a lower prevalence of emphysema and chronic bronchitis.