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Muscle time under tension during resistance exercise stimulates differential muscle protein sub‐fractional synthetic responses in men
Author(s) -
Burd Nicholas A.,
Andrews Richard J.,
West Daniel W.D.,
Little Jonathan P.,
Cochran Andrew J.R.,
Hector Amy J.,
Cashaback Joshua G.A.,
Gibala Martin J.,
Potvin James R.,
Baker Steven K.,
Phillips Stuart M.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
the journal of physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.802
H-Index - 240
eISSN - 1469-7793
pISSN - 0022-3751
DOI - 10.1113/jphysiol.2011.221200
Subject(s) - muscle hypertrophy , resistance training , muscle tension , muscle contraction , muscle protein , physical medicine and rehabilitation , medicine , skeletal muscle , endocrinology
Non‐technical summary A single bout of resistance exercise stimulates the synthesis of new muscle proteins. Chronic performance of resistance exercise (i.e. weight training) is what makes your muscles grow bigger; a process known as hypertrophy. However, it is unknown if increasing the time that muscle is under tension will lead to greater increases in muscle protein synthesis. We report that leg extension exercise at 30% of the best effort (which is a load that is comparatively light), with a slow lifting movement (6 s up and 6 s down) performed to fatigue produces greater increases in rates of muscle protein synthesis than the same movement performed rapidly (1 s up and 1 s down). These results suggest that the time the muscle is under tension during exercise may be important in optimizing muscle growth; this understanding enables us to better prescribe exercise to those wishing to build bigger muscles and/or to prevent muscle loss that occurs with ageing or disease.