Encouraging Study About Muscle Recovery

Here’s some science about muscle atrophy and recovery…

Synopsis: It’s some hard science behind muscle memory.

Here’s about the only quote from the article I found both encouraging and disturbing. To me it’s one of the best arguments for using steroids, but it could conversly mean very bad things for athletes caught doing the same.

“If the results hold up in people, sports agencies may want to reconsider how long they ban athletes suspended for taking steroids. Previous research has shown that testosterone boosts the number of nuclei in muscle cells beyond the amount produced by working out. â??If you have nuclei that last forever, then you would also have an advantage that could last forever,â?? Gundersen says.”

Read More http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/08/muscle-memory/#ixzz0ws21DuJO

If the mechanism for muscle memory is enhanced for prolonged periods of a persons life by steroids, every male should be taking them. This becomes a quality of life issue.

If this mechanism holds, then as long as you maintain a good regimen of physical activity your ability to build and retain muscle should last into advanced age. Assuming of course you ever enhanced the cell nuclei via training and other assistance in the first place.

This is something people were talking about when Levrone went through his transformation. Of course, he already had outstanding genetics, but muscle memory must’ve played a part.

[quote]Rational Gaze wrote:
This is something people were talking about when Levrone went through his transformation. Of course, he already had outstanding genetics, but muscle memory must’ve played a part.[/quote]

The drugs too. I recently read that he was off cycle when he was doing his music gig for some months in the off season, so accompanied by amazing genetics, an amazing response to PEDs and his work ethic, he would be Olympia ready in 6-8 months.

EDIT: I know we are talking about two different things as Levrone is doing the transformation natty and I’m talking about his O days…

I think this gives credence to bulking hard while we are still young as long as you don’t let the fat gains get out of hand or are able to lose the fat gained in the process(like what ProfX or Modok did).

The idea that Testosterone increases nuclei thereby increasing the ability to rebound from injury or inactivity faster and retain or at least regain protien mass in the muscle cells is something I hadn’t heard before.

Essentially then, more training more testosterone means more nuclei and muscle mass later in life, and higher quality of life in advanced age.

I wonder if in cases of degenerative disease invloving muscle wasting, if what is actually happening is the death or destruction of these nuclei?

Our bodies are infinately fascinating…