Spiering et al 2008 -Resistance exercise Biology — Manipulation of Resistance Exercise Programme Variables Determines the Responses of Cellular and Molecular Signalling Pathways
Advances in molecular biology brought many possibilities to understand the effects of physical training in biological systems — In this case, us. The effects of load, volume, rest period lengths, exercise order, and choice are the controllable variables that will influence the endocrine, immune, muscle, neural and cardiovascular responses for example. Physiological alterations will provide the information — signaling the cells (Transcription and translations) — how the adaptations need to be set and consequently improvements in performance.
Transcription — DNA from the nucleus copied to an RNA molecule that navigates to the cytoplasm.
Translation — Protein production using the RNA molecule obtained during the transcription process.
As muscles contracts alterations in signaling occurred in different systems: Muscle fibers; hormones and immune/inflammatory. Cells receive information about what it is supposed to do — which translates into protein synthesis, stimulus-dependent — and finally change performance and system capacity.
Interactions between the training stimulus, hormones, and immune system response influences satellite cells and fibers for transcription and translation of proteins — each workout session stimulus will determine the long term improvement.
What kind of variables will affect systems response?
Choice of exercise: The amount of muscle affects metabolic and hormonal response. Eccentric contractions allow greater stress. Regarding the muscle action -Concentric and excentric — the exercise stimulus is basically the same when muscle tension is equated.
Load: The range of repetitions provides specific muscular adaptations. If it worked with 6 10 15 20 repetitions adaptations will support the ones worked.
Volume: Generically considered as an amount of time spent in exercise sessions, increasing number of sets, exercises, repetitions or even load alters volume.
Rest lengths between sets: Short rest periods stimulate hypertrophy and long strength gains.
Order of exercises: Exercises with greater muscle mass involvement will dramatically be impaired if performed as the last exercise reducing the amount of repetitions. Attenuation in electromyography (EMG), glycogen content, and phosphocreatine concentration likely are responsible for it.
Many are the mechanism responsible to provide muscle mass increment. Each type of exercise variable provides an improvement in specific ranges of repetitions and consequently levels of strength or muscle mass.
