Exercise induced increases in muscle fiber number

Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol. 1986;55(2):137-41. doi: 10.1007/BF00714995.

Abstract

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 less than 0.01) and 9% (P less than 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.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cats
  • Female
  • Male
  • Muscles / anatomy & histology*
  • Organ Size
  • Physical Exertion*