From: silver@macbeth.umd.edu (Adam Silver)
Newsgroups: misc.fitness
Subject: Re: Muscle cell memory: is there such a theory?
Date: 8 Jan 93 17:29:07 GMT
Organization: University of Maryland

In article <1993Jan8.063719.12055@ramsey.cs.laurentian.ca> paul@ramsey.cs.laurentian.ca (Paul Lalonde) writes:

Paul!!!  Stop this!  You're scaring me!!!  This is almost supernatural.  Paul,
I think I am your double.  I seem to be the armwrestling authority on the
net these days.

Your story is similar to mine.  I started lifting in 1989 for 3 months.  In
those 3 (not 6 months) I was benching 295 easily.  None of my friends could
believe it.  I weighed 170-175 tops.

Anyway, I didn't start lifting again until my sophomore year of college.  I
lifted for 14 months but only the last 3 seriously.  I was benching 340 at
162.  I then tore my rotator cuff and biceps tendon and had to have surgery.
I was also into armwrestling at the time but that didn't hurt me.  Anyway,
I was out for 8 months.  I rehabbed for 2 month after having a sling on for
6 weeks after surgery (where I severely atrophied (sp?) my right arm).

In just 4 months of lifting, I was benching 365-370 for a max at 163.  I am
now competing in armwrestling and bench competitions.  I'm the Maryland
State Amateur Armwrestling Champ in the 165lb class.  :-)  I saw someone
break their arm in the last competition.  It was gross.  The ref should stop
you in a "break arm" position which would be hard to describe in words.

MY POINT IS:  I was posting a long time ago on a weekly basis all my gains
I was making.  I posed my arm measurements mainly.  My right arm grew 1 inch
in 3.5 weeks.  MUSCLE MEMORY DOES EXIST!!!!!

>Well, my question is this:  how is it possible for someone who has been
>out of weightlifting for so long (including a dramatic weight loss to
>155 in 1991 due to improper nutrition) to gain back this much ground in
>such a short span of time?

MUSCLE MEMORY!

>One person told me that this is a phenomenon called "cell memory". Since
>muscle mass increase is due to the fibres themselves hypertrophing and
>not actual production of new muscle, he explained that since the muscle
>fibres had been subjected to extreme stress repeatedly (and subsequently
>becoming more massive) in the past, they were still somewhat receptive
>to such stress/repair cycles. In short, he said that the body doesn't forget
>physical stresses that physiologically alter its makeup, and when exposed
>to them in the future, will revert to "ready-made" defensive techniques.
>(Like the immune system).
>
>Is there any basis in fact to this?  What other reasons might exist to
>explain my fortunate rebound?

I believe in it.

>Regardless, there is no feeling that compares to the sense of accomplishment
>and pride that comes as a result of seeing your own body being molded into
>what it once was and what you always wanted it to be!
>
>Thanks for your help!
>
>Paul

Wow, this is weird.

							-Adam

PS  I'm 21 years old.

-- 
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     *               Adam Silver    Powerlifter/Armwrestler               *
     *           silver@umd5.umd.edu    University of Maryland            *
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