How To Build Muscle/Muscle Growth - Part 2

Many scientists believe that the number of muscle cells in the body are fixed by the time we reach age 20. The number of cells is determined by the hormones released in the body (testosterone produces more cells) and by the amount of exercise a person gets. If you get more exercise, your body will produce more muscle cells.

So, as a bodybuilder begins to “grow” muscle, they don’t really grow more muscle cells, but rather each cell gets bigger and stronger. As the muscle grows, so does the blood supply to the region to feed the muscles more energy and oxygen. The blood is carried through small capillaries.

Most cells have a single nucleus, or center of the cell, where the majority
of the genetic material is found. The nucleus is supposed to protect the genetic material and control the activity of the cell. Striated muscle cells have more than one nuclei and the ability to develop mitochondria. These are the powerhouse of the cell where converts chemicals into energy used by the cell.

As you work muscles, they produce more mitochondria. The higher the number of repetitions, the higher the number of mitochondria to produce energy. This is the reason that trainers recommend you do low reps with high weights to build larger muscle but include higher reps with lower weights to increase the number of mitochondria to feed the cells and grow them bigger.

Resources:

Mens Health: How Does My Body Build Muscle

http://www.mh.co.za/food/how-does-my-body-build-muscle/

University of New Mexico: How Do Muscles Grow

http://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/Article%20folder/musclesgrowLK.html

ScienceDaily: Growing Strong Muscles without Working out

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120830130446.htm

ScienceDaily: Exercise Triggers Stem Cells in Muscle

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120206143944.htm

Mueller Center: how Do your muscles grow

http://www.muellercenter.rpi.edu/musclegrowth.php

Washington University: Muscle Types and Sex Differences