A scientific study published in the Biophysical Journal explains why exercise strengthens muscles.
The human body continues to be the subject of research for thousands of scientists around the world. On this occasion, a study published in the Biophysical Journal sought to give answers to the reason for the growth of muscles in those individuals who perform exercises.
Researchers at the University of Cambridge have analyzed how much effort it will take for a muscle to grow and how long it takes to achieve the desired results. The study is based on a mathematical formula and on the biophysics of the human body. “The titin sensing mechanism controls skeletal muscle growth under load,” the authors write.
To explain this statement, the scientists clarify that titin (TK) is a basic component of the muscle that is responsible for generating the chemical signals that activate muscle growth and, ultimately, muscle building. This component also indicates the optimal conditions of each body in which each physical training should be carried out according to the objective.
“We developed a quantitative mathematical formula that describes the kinetics of TK-based mechanosensitive signaling and predicts trophic changes in response to exercise and rehabilitation regimens,” the project researchers describe.
The results of the study will be used by researchers to develop an application that provides individualized training plans for each person, based on specific objectives. In addition, they expressed that the key to increasing muscle mass is to have constant and sustained training over time.
The formula
According to the formula developed, the key to optimally growing muscles is sustained training over time. The muscles are able to withstand a maximum load for a very short time, at which point a cellular indication is activated that leads to the synthesis of new muscle proteins. That is, the body manufactures new tissues that cause the muscle to grow to be able to assume that load.
The more intense an exercise and the greater the frequency with which it is performed, the more the muscle grows . If a certain intensity is not exceeded in the training, the cell indication does not occur, so the training time should be increased a lot to compensate. Now, this overtraining is not good for the human body either. What you want to achieve with this developed formula is to design effective exercises to achieve the muscle growth that you want.
In addition, thanks to the research it was learned that the formula can also be applied in the prevention of muscle atrophy. This phenomenon is common in people with reduced mobility who spend many hours or days in complete rest in bed. The study indicated how long a muscle can remain inactive before deteriorating or atrophy. In turn, with this method, an appropriate recovery strategy can be developed for each case.
The researchers conclude that “this work provides a quantitative analytical rationale for a mechanosensitive mechanism for trophic signaling in muscle and provides additional evidence that the titin kinase domain is a good candidate for hypertrophic mechanosensitivity.” They add that they hope that such information will produce significant advances in exercise medicine.
