Summary
The effect of weight-lifting, which induced muscular enlargement, on fiber number was tested in the flexor carpi radialis muscle by operantly conditioning 6 cats to flex their right wrist against increasing resistance for an average of 101 weeks. The left was used as a control. At the end of training, the cats were performing “one-arm“ lifts with an average of 57% of their body weight. There was an 11% greater muscle weight (P<0.01) and 9% (P<0.02) more fibers in the exercised muscles from the right limb than in the left. This study using a different method, supports our earlier observations that prolonged weight-lifting exercise significantly increases the total number of muscle fibers.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aloisi M, Pierobon S, Schiaffino S (1974) Cell multiplication and histochemistry changes in compensatory muscle hypertrophy. In: Hausmanowa-Petrusewicz I, Jedrejowska H (eds) Structure and function of normal and diseased muscle and peripheral nerve. Polish Medical Publishers, Warsaw, pp 27–32
Bass A, Macková E, Vítek V (1973) Activity of some enzymes of energy supplying metabolism in the rat soleus after tenotomy of synergistic muscles and in the contralateral control muscle. Physiol Bohem 22:613–621
Bischoff R (1979) Tissue culture studies on the origin of myogenic cells during muscle regeneration in the rat. In: Mauro A (ed) Muscle regeneration. Raven Press, New York, pp 13–29
Carrow RE, Heusener WW, Van Huss WD (1973) Exercise and the incidence of muscle fiber splitting. Br Assoc Sports Med J 7:39–41
Edgerton VR (1970) Morphology and histochemistry of the soleus muscle from normal and exercised rats. Am J Anat 127:81–88
Giddings CJ, Neaves WB, Gonyea WJ (1985) Muscle fiber turnover induced by prolonged weight-lifting exercise in the cat. Anat Rec 211:133–141
Goldberg AL (1965) Muscle hypertrophy in hypophysectomized rats. Physiologist 8:175–178
Gollnick PD, Timson BF, Moore RL, Riedy M (1981) Muscular enlargement and number of fibers in skeletal muscles of rats. J Appl Physiol 50:936–943
Gollnick PD, Parsons D, Riedy M, Moore RL (1983) Fiber number and size in overloaded chicken anterior latissimus dorsi muscle. J Appl Physiol 54:1292–1297
Gollnick PD, Parson D, Riedy M, Moore RL, Timson BF (1983) An evaluation of mechanisms modulating muscle size in response to varying perturbations. In: Borer KT, Edington DW, White TP (eds) Frontiers of exercise biology, vol. B. Human Kinetics Publishers Inc. Chamaign, pp 27–50
Gonyea WJ (1980) Muscle fiber splitting in trained and untrained animals. In: Hutton RS, Miller DI (eds) Exercise and sport sciences reviews, vol 8. Franklin Inst Press, Philadelphia, pp 19–39
Gonyea WJ (1980) The role of exercise in inducing skeletal muscle fiber splitting. J Appl Physiol 48:421–426
Gonyea WJ, Ericson GC (1976) An experimental model for the study of exercise-induced skeletal muscle hypertrophy. J Appl Physiol 40:630–633
Gonyea WJ, Sale D (1982) Physiology of weight-lifting exercise. Arch Physiol Med Rehabil 63:235–237
Gonyea WJ, Ericson GC, Bonde-Peterson F (1977) Skeletal muscle fiber splitting induced by weight-lifting exercise in cats. Acta Physiol Scand 99:105–109
Gonyea WJ, Sale D, Dixon JA (1982) Increase in muscle fiber number in response to weight-lifting exercise. Med Sci Sports Ex 14:111
Gutman E, Hájek I, Vétek V (1970) Compensatory hypertrophy of the latissimus dorsi posterior muscle induced by elimination of the latissimus dorsi anterior muscle of the chicken. Physiol Bohem 19:483–488
Hall-Craggs ECB (1970) The longitudinal division of fibers in overloaded rat skeletal muscle. J Anat 107:459–470
Hall-Craggs ECB (1972) The significance of longitudinal fiber division in skeletal muscle. J Neurol Sci 15:27–33
Ho KW, Roy RR, Tweedle CD, Heusner WW, Van Huss WD, Carrow RE (1980) Skeletal muscle fiber splitting with weight-lifting exercise. Am J Anat 157:433–440
James MT (1973) Compensatory hypertrophy in the extensor digitorum longus muscle of the rat. J Anat 116:57–65
MacDougall JD, Sale DG, Elder G, Sutton JR (1982) Muscle ultrastructural characteristics of elite power lifters and body-builders. Eur J Appl Physiol 48:117–126
MacDougall JD, Sale DG, Alway SE, Sutton JR (1984) Muscle fiber number in biceps brachii in body builders and control subjects. J Appl Physiol 57:1399
Reitsma W (1969) Skeletal muscle hypertrophy after exercise in rats with surgically reduced muscle function. Am J Physiol Med 48:237–257
Reitsma W (1970) Some structural changes in skeletal muscles of the rat after intensive training. Acta Morphol Neerl Scand (Utrecht) 7:229–246
Schantz P, Randall-Fox E, Norgren P, Tydén A (1981) The relationship between the mean muscle cross-sectional area of the thigh in subjects with large differences in thigh girth. Acta Physiol Scand 113:537–539
Saltin B, Henriksson J, Jensen E, Andersen P (1977) Fiber types and metabolic potential of skeletal muscles in sedentary man and endurance runners. Ann NY Acad Sci 301:3–29
Sola OM, Christensen DL, Martin AW (1973) Hypertrophy and hyperplasia of adult chicken anterior latissimus dorsi muscle following stretch with and without denervation. Exp Neurol 41:76–100
Tesch PA, Larsson L (1982) Muscle hypertrophy in body builders. Eur J Appl Physiol 49:301–306
Tomanek RJ, Woo K (1970) Compensatory hypertrophy of the plantaris muscle in relation to age. J Gerontol 25:23–29
Van Linge B (1962) The response of muscle to strenuous exercise. J Bone Joint Surg 44:711–721
Zar JH (1974) Pages 101–120 inBiostatistical Analysis. Prentice-Hall, New Jersey
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gonyea, W.J., Sale, D.G., Gonyea, F.B. et al. Exercise induced increases in muscle fiber number. Europ. J. Appl. Physiol. 55, 137–141 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00714995
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00714995