Hello Readers,
In my last post, I discussed how strength is lost during periods of inactivity and how inactive adults are at increased risk of falling, suffering an injury and or developing chronic illnesses. Now that we know the value of being strong, I want to dive a little deeper into what specific factors are needed to increase strength and lean muscle. The physical mechanisms for developing strength require purposeful resistance training with multiple sets of various exercises using moderately heavy loads several times a week. Weight training is a form of resistance exercise and when combined with sufficient amounts of nourishment and sleep, supports the development of a strong and fit body.
According to Westcott (2012) numerous studies have shown that brief bouts of 12-20 sets of resistance training, 2-3 times a week on non-consecutive days can increase muscle mass in adults of all ages well into their tenth decade of life. Furthermore, performing one set of 6-12 repetitions with varying weights between 70-85% of your one repetition maximum 2-3 days a week for 8-12 weeks showed significant strength improvements in trained adults (Androulakis-Korakakis et al., 2020).
Any muscle building program should employ multiple sets that include 6-12 repetitions with various exercises from different angles and sides to maximize total muscle development and strength. The regimen should be periodized and near the end of a 8-12 week cycle and should be followed by a tapering off or rest phase to allow for supercompensation of muscle tissues (Schoenfeld, 2010). Supercompensation is a phase after a rest day where it is believed that the reacquisition of new muscle mass and strength are achieved on the next resistance training session. Case studies have highlighted muscle strength, and to some degree, hypertrophy (muscle size), is resilient during rest periods, and faster gains are obtained during subsequent training bouts (Psilander et al, 2019). In other words, allowing trained muscle groups adequate time to rest and recover, has the potential to increase strength and muscle gains on the next resistance training bout. Avoid training the same muscle groups on back to back days.
Aside from resistance training, one key variable in the muscle building process is consuming enough protein. Resistance exercise alone isn’t enough to completely reshape and strengthen the body, it’s a great start, but it must be coupled with adequate amounts of protein and sleep to promote muscle protein synthesis. Muscle protein synthesis (MPS) is the process of using amino acids to make peptides and proteins and both serve as a means to signal muscle contraction, repair and muscle tissue growth (Reidy & Rasmussen, 2016). Think of MPS like building fire and you need wood logs, matches and a fireplace to start it. Protein sources are your logs, resistance training are your matches, and sleep is your fireplace. Together they harbor an ideal environment from which muscle cells can flourish in size and strength.
Protein ingestion post exercise in the short term (1-5h) and long term (5-72h) is essential for eliciting the best muscle adaptive response for all physically active adults. To maximize results for resistance-exercise-induced strength and lean mass gains, it is recommended to consume 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight (Vliet et al., 2018). For example, a person who weighs 150 pounds (150 LB.= 68.03 kg x 1.6g = 108.86) will need 108 grams of protein to initiate an anabolic response.
Here are some protein sources: Sockeye Salmon-30g protein, 1 cup Lentils-18g protein, 1 large egg-6.3g protein, 1 ounce Almonds-6g protein, 3 ounces of Chicken Breast-26.7g protein, 3 ounces lean Beef-24.6 g protein, 1 cup Quinoa-8g protein, 1 slice Ezekiel bread-6g protein, & 2 tbsp Peanut Butter-7.2g protein.
Sleep is the last component needed to support an active and fit lifestyle. There is a delicate balance between training and recovery. If rest is insufficient, it will lead to poor performance and energy output on the ensuing workout. At times, exercise can cause muscle soreness and negatively impact your quality and quantity of sleep, but it’s usually short lived. However, continual sleep deprivation will negatively impact and significantly reduce your muscle building hormones. Furthermore, lack of sleep will increase catabolic (muscle breakdown) hormones, stunting muscle protein synthesis all together and impairing training adaptation and muscle recovery process. Therefore, it is suggested that individuals who resistance exercise regularly, achieve 7-9 hours of sleep (Doherty et al., Section 2., para. 2, 2019).
Forging strength and lean muscle requires 3 key elements; resistance exercise, adequate protein ingestion and sufficient amounts of sleep. Collectively, these factors initiate muscle protein synthesis, which promotes muscle contraction, response and adaptation. The first catalyst is resistance training, which is fundamentally anabolic (muscle building) and it requires lifting moderately heavy loads 2-3 times a week utilizing 12-20 sets with repetitions between 6-12. Consuming adequate amounts of protein is the second stimulant required for muscle protein synthesis. Eating 1.6 grams per kilogram of bodyweight will ensure that there is enough amino acids available to expand lean muscle tissue. Lastly, achieving 7-9 hours of sleep on training days aids in releasing muscle building hormones that repair and rejuvenate muscle tissue. Sufficient sleep and rest periods between exercise bouts and muscle groups minimizes injury and enables supercompensation. In summary, if you want to look and feel stronger, then lift moderately heavy loads 2-3 times a week, eat well on your training days and get plenty of sleep after each resistance training session. With consistency and patience, you will achieve your strength and transformation goals.
Stay Fit,
Alex Ramirez
Works Cited
Androulakis-Korakakis, P., Fisher, J.P. & Steele, J. (2020). The Minimum Effective Training Dose Required to Increase 1RM Strength in Resistance-Trained Men: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports Med 50, 751–765 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-019-01236-0 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-019-01236-0#citeas
Doherty, R., Madigan, S., Warrington, G., & Ellis, J. (2019). Sleep and Nutrition Interactions: Implications for Athletes. Nutrients, 11(4), 822. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11040822 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6520871/
Psilander, N., Eftestøl, E., Cumming, K. T., Juvkam, I., Ekblom, M. M., Sunding, K., Wernbom, M., Holmberg, H. C., Ekblom, B., Bruusgaard, J. C., Raastad, T., & Gundersen, K. (2019). Effects of training, detraining, and retraining on strength, hypertrophy, and myonuclear number in human skeletal muscle. Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985), 126(6), 1636–1645. https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00917.2018Copy https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/japplphysiol.00917.2018
Reggiani, C., & Schiaffino, S. (2020). Muscle hypertrophy and muscle strength: dependent or independent variables? A provocative review. European journal of translational myology, 30(3), 9311. https://doi.org/10.4081/ejtm.2020.9311 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7582410/
Reidy, P. T., & Rasmussen, B. B. (2016). Role of Ingested Amino Acids and Protein in the Promotion of Resistance Exercise-Induced Muscle Protein Anabolism. The Journal of nutrition, 146(2), 155–183. https://doi.org/10.3945/jn.114.203208 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4725426/
Schoenfeld, Brad J. (Oct. 2010). The Mechanisms of Muscle Hypertrophy and Their Application to Resistance Training, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: Volume 24 – Issue 10 – p 2857-2872 doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181e840f3 https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Fulltext/2010/10000/The_Mechanisms_of_Muscle_Hypertrophy_and_Their.40.aspx
Vliet, S. V., Beals, J. W., Martinez, I. G., Skinner, S. K., & Burd, N. A. (2018). Achieving Optimal Post-Exercise Muscle Protein Remodeling in Physically Active Adults through Whole Food Consumption. Nutrients, 10(2), 224. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10020224 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5852800/
Westcott W. L. (2012). Resistance training is medicine: effects of strength training on health. Current sports medicine reports, 11(4), 209–216. https://doi.org/10.1249/JSR.0b013e31825dabb8 https://journals.lww.com/acsm-csmr/Fulltext/2012/07000/Resistance_Training_is_Medicine__Effects_of.13.aspx