Dominic Stone
Muscle hyperplasia, or the process of increasing the number of muscle fibres, was once thought to be impossible in humans. However, recent studies have shown that it may be possible to induce hyperplasia through specific training methods. While the extent of its effects is still unclear, hyperplasia has been observed in animal models, and there is some evidence that it may contribute to muscle growth in humans as well. This introduction will explore the current understanding of muscle hyperplasia, the potential mechanisms for inducing it, and the role it plays in muscle growth and strength development.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Muscle hyperplasia | Once thought impossible in humans, but recent research suggests it may be possible |
| Muscle growth mechanisms | 1. Making existing muscle fibres bigger (hypertrophy) 2. Addition of new muscle fibres (hyperplasia) |
| Hyperplasia occurrence | Through 2 mechanisms: fusion of 2 pre-cells to form a new fibre after muscle damage, or existing fibres split into 2 |
| Training methods | Intra-set stretching, resistance training, and weight-lifting |
| Indirect evidence | Studies on bodybuilders suggest muscle fibres were newly created, leading to larger muscle mass |
| Animal studies | Evidence of hyperplasia in animals, but effects on humans are less clear |
| Human studies | Intense stretching without weights increased strength by 20% in 3-8 weeks |
| Muscle plasticity | Skeletal muscle can adapt to variable functional requirements through changes in mass and fibre size |
| Muscle regeneration | Signs of muscle regeneration observed, supporting hyperplasia as a mechanism for increased muscle mass |
| Satellite cells | Muscle overload induces new fibre formation from satellite cell activation, proliferation, differentiation, and fusion |
| Fibre-splitting | Some evidence of muscle fibre division or splitting from the 19th century and regenerating muscle |
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What You'll Learn
Resistance training
To build muscle through weight lifting, you need to have both mechanical damage and metabolic fatigue. When you lift a heavy weight, the contractile proteins in the muscles must generate force to overcome the resistance provided by the weight. This can result in structural damage to the muscles. Mechanical damage to muscle proteins stimulates a repair response in the body, and the damaged fibres result in an increase in muscle size. Mechanical fatigue occurs when the muscle fibres exhaust the available supply of ATP, an energy component that helps your muscles contract. This can also lead to muscle gain.
There are two types of resistance training to focus on, depending on your fitness goals. Myofibrillar training will help with strength and speed, and sarcoplasmic growth helps give your body more sustained energy for endurance athletic events. When weightlifting, you can perform many repetitions (reps) at a lower weight or lift a heavy weight for fewer reps. The way you lift will determine how your muscles grow and change. For example, you can develop muscle tone with a lighter weight, but it will require a high number of repetitions to improve efficiency of muscle fibres. Unless you perform a number of repetitions to the point of fatigue, with this workout style you won’t see a lot of muscle definition.
To induce muscle hyperplasia, which refers to an increase in muscle fibres within a given cross-sectional area, you can try training close to failure, which means taking the muscle to its limit where it no longer allows you to continue performing the movement. This can be achieved by spending most of your time in the gym lifting weights that challenge 75 to 85% of your 1RM. Training each muscle group with 10 to 20 sets per week will increase the levels of a particular enzyme called mTOR.
It is important to vary your exercises or activities to fire up different or multiple muscle fibres in the same movement or circuit. Working with a trainer can help you create a weightlifting program to meet your goals. It is important to continuously challenge your muscles to continue to see growth and increased definition. To stay safe, never increase the amount of weight you’re lifting too quickly. Instead, aim for a gradual increase each week.
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Intra-set stretching
The idea for intra-set stretching comes from a study on quails, which is the most well-known hyperplasia study. In this study, quails had 10% of their body mass attached to one of their wings for over a month, adding resistance to that wing. This study reported an increase in muscle fibres of over 50%.
However, some are skeptical of the benefits of intra-set stretching. Static stretching has been shown to reduce muscle force production, activation, power output, strength, and total work output during training, which can reduce long-term muscle growth. In addition, in trained individuals, muscle growth primarily occurs through thickening rather than lengthening.
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Muscle damage
Muscle hyperplasia refers to an increase in the number of muscle fibres. It is one of two mechanisms by which muscles grow, the other being hypertrophy, which is the increase in the size of existing muscle fibres.
Hyperplasia was once thought to be impossible in humans, but recent research has indicated that it may be possible to increase the number of muscle fibres, not just their size. This has been observed in animal models, where muscle hyperplasia has been induced through overload or stretching.
In one study, quails were given resistance training by having 10% of their body mass attached to one of their wings for a month. Another study found that rats produced muscle hyperplasia after 14 days of training that caused elevated muscle damage.
While the research is not conclusive, some training methods are said to induce hyperplasia in humans. One such method is intra-set stretching, which involves weighted intermittent stretching. This type of stretching increases mechanical tension and muscle damage, which is thought to be key to stretch-induced growth. However, it is important to note that these training protocols are not scientifically validated, and the research on hyperplasia in humans is still ambiguous.
To induce hyperplasia through muscle damage, it is suggested that you focus on quality training by targeting the weights you put on and looking for performance improvements. It is also important to continuously challenge your muscles and gradually increase the weight you are lifting to avoid injury and stimulate muscle growth.
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Muscle regeneration
Muscle hyperplasia refers to an increase in muscle fibres. It was once thought impossible in humans, but recent research has shown that it may be achievable through specific training methods. Hyperplasia occurs through two mechanisms: the fusion of two pre-cells to form a new fibre, and the splitting of existing fibres to create two separate fibres.
To induce hyperplasia, intra-set stretching is often recommended. This method is based on research conducted on quails, where resistance was added to one of their wings, leading to a significant increase in muscle fibres. Similar results have been observed in rats and chickens under overloaded conditions or after stretching.
Skeletal muscle has an excellent regenerative ability due to muscle satellite cells (MuSCs). These cells are responsible for generating new muscle fibres during regeneration. Muscle regeneration can be promoted by growth factors, ultrasound, and muscle stretching. However, more research is needed to understand the effects of various exercises and promoters on hyperplasia fully.
Mechanical damage and metabolic fatigue are also important factors in muscle growth and regeneration. When lifting heavy weights, the contractile proteins in the muscles undergo structural damage, stimulating a repair response and leading to increased muscle size. Additionally, muscle fibres experience metabolic fatigue when they exhaust their supply of ATP, a crucial energy component for muscle contractions.
While the idea of inducing hyperplasia is gaining traction, it is still a controversial topic in muscle physiology. Direct measurement of muscle fibres in humans is challenging, and current evidence is primarily based on animal studies. Further research is needed to confirm the effectiveness of specific training methods in inducing hyperplasia and promoting muscle regeneration in humans.
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Satellite cell activation
Satellite cells (SCs) are the most abundant type of skeletal muscle stem cells. They are widely recognised for their role in maintaining muscle mass, regeneration, and hypertrophy throughout the human lifespan. SCs are located between the skeletal myofiber's basal lamina and the plasma membrane.
SCs can be activated through exercise, post-training micro-injuries, and electrical stimulation. Once activated, SCs can produce myoblasts and myonuclei through subsequent steps of proliferation, differentiation, and fusion. Myoblasts, the progeny of satellite cells, can either fuse with each other to form new myofibers, fuse with existing muscle fibres and donate their nuclei to the fibre, or return to a quiescent state, replenishing the resident pool of satellite cells through self-renewal.
SC activation has been observed in animal studies, with an increase in SC number and activation following 6-13 weeks of moderate to high-intensity endurance training in young and old rats. Human studies have also shown that SCs can be activated through acute damaging or non-damaging exercise, providing crucial information on the underlying mechanisms of SC function under physiological conditions in humans.
SCs play a critical role in muscle regeneration, especially during the early stages of recovery from injury. When myofibers are damaged or dead, inflammatory macrophages remove the debris, creating space for SCs to proliferate. In the middle stage of regeneration, anti-inflammatory macrophages support the regulation of myogenic differentiation and the growth of nascent myofibers into mature myofibers.
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Frequently asked questions
Muscle hyperplasia is the process of increasing the number of muscle fibres. This is distinct from hypertrophy, which is the process of increasing the thickness of existing muscle fibres.
Muscle hyperplasia can be induced through intra-set stretching. This involves creating a large amount of mechanical tension and muscle damage.
Muscle hyperplasia can lead to increased muscle strength and size.
No, muscle hyperplasia and hypertrophy are two distinct processes. Hypertrophy involves increasing the thickness of muscle fibres, while hyperplasia involves increasing the number of muscle fibres.
The safety of muscle hyperplasia is currently unknown. While some studies have shown that it is possible to induce hyperplasia in animals, the effect on humans is less clear and further research is needed.
