Muscle memory: what is it, how does it work, and how long does it last?

Muscle memory is fundamental in the field of sport, and helps us to master our body.

If you have been physically fit in the past, will it be easier for you to be fit again in the future?

According to those who defend the existence of Muscle memory, yes, but what does this concept consist of? It is a type of "localized" memory in our muscles, which allows us to more easily perform exercises that we have already practiced in the past.

In this article, we turn to scientific research and different experts in the field to shed some light on the different aspects surrounding this subject: Does muscle memory really exist?

How does it work, what does it depend on, what factors determine whether it appears sooner or later, and how long does it last? We will answer these and other questions in this article.

Muscle memory: what is it?

Many years ago, there was a tendency to think that muscles that atrophied, either as a consequence of disuse or as a result of injury, would never recover. However, it is now known that this is not the case, thanks to the concept of muscle memory.

But what is muscle memory? It is the memory that our muscles "have", i.e., the capacity that allows us to repeat movements more than once, that is, the capacity that allows us to repeat movements more easily when we have already performed them in the past..

In this way, our muscles can "retain" the memory of certain exercises, and even of our previous muscle growth, as Robert Seaborne, one of the researchers of a study carried out by the University of Keele (United Kingdom) on muscle memory, assures us, and which we will comment on later.

Muscle memory can be appreciated above all in sportsmen and sportswomen who, even if they temporarily abandon sport, recover their physical form more easily, and have more facility than other people who have never done sport when it comes to resuming certain exercises.

Thus, this type of memory helps us when we abandon our sports routines and return to the load, as it allows us to regain our physical form more easily. But does muscle memory really exist, and what does science have to say about it?

Neuroscience and muscle memory

Science has tried to answer the question of whether muscle memory really exists and, if so, how it works. One of these answers, according to recent research, is to be found in genetics (i.e., the origin of muscle memory is to be found here).

Along these lines, research published in the journal Scientific Reports and developed by a team at Keele University (UK), suggests that human skeletal muscle has an epigenetic memory that is determined by an earlier an epigenetic memory that is determined by earlier growth, which allows ourwhich allows our body to recover more quickly.

However, the results of this research "clashed" with what other theories say about muscle memory. One of these theories is the one developed by the biologist Kristian Gundersen, according to which there is an increase in myonuclei (the nuclei found inside the muscle fibers) in the cells of our muscle fibers, which would explain (broadly speaking) the increase in muscle memory.This would explain (roughly speaking) how muscle memory works.

Returning to the subject of genetics, experts have found specific genes related to muscle memory and, therefore, to a better return to fitness of our body.

Such genes could improve certain rehabilitation treatments that professional athletes undergo when injured, for example. that professional athletes undergo when they are injured, for example. It has also been seen how these genes could also extend the effects of certain drugs taken by some athletes to improve their muscle building.

Other research

Another study in the line of genetics, this time developed by Moberg et al. (2020), revealed that several regulatory genes, as well as some proteins involved in the adaptation of muscles to resistance exercise, are related to muscle memory (i.e., they are influenced by the muscle memory). (i.e., they are influenced by each person's previous training history).

One of the outstanding results of this study is that the cells of the leg exercised by the participants, after 10 weeks of training and 20 weeks at rest, were more prepared to develop volume and strength, at a genetic and metabolic level.

Specifically, the researchers found a wide range of genetic markers, as well as biochemical signals, within the participants' muscle cells related to proper muscle function and muscle growth.

According to the research, muscle memory clearly does exist, and it appears as a consequence of sports training.. However, the researchers emphasize that more research is needed.

Beyond genetics

However, muscle memory is not only believed to be due to genetics. Francisco Ozores, an anthropometry technician and physical education teacher, explains that muscle memory is a broad concept, encompassing (or explained by) three essential aspects: organic, psychological and physiological. encompasses (or is explained by) three essential aspects: the organic, the psychological and the physiological..

According to him, people who are used to doing sports (especially professional or high-performance athletes), have different capacities from "ordinary" people as a result of their work, beyond the physical ones.

These capacities have to do, for example, with a "strong" mind capable of training to the limit, or with the fact of being able to develop new capillaries for that muscle mass that once had the assimilation of proteins.

Thus, according to Ozores, muscle memory would be that capacity that allows us to develop past physical exercises with much greater ease. (which is an advantage for athletes over non-athletes); then, according to him, genetics would also play a role, but for athletes and non-athletes alike.

How long does muscle memory last and what factors does it depend on?

According to the experts, this depends on various factors, such as the age at which one stopped doing sports, the age at which one starts exercising the body again, the time elapsed between one moment and the next, the type of diet, the activity itself, genetic and metabolic factors, etc.

Ana Chezzi, a nutritionist specializing in anthropometry, explains that muscular memory lasts approximately 72 hoursThis means that ideally, if we do sport on a Monday, we should do it again on Thursday, otherwise all the preparation our body has done (and therefore our muscles) will deteriorate and even be lost.

The importance of sport (and youth)

It is not news that sport is so healthy for our body (and, mind you, also for our mind!). Thus, experts agree in pointing out the importance of staying active and training our muscles as much as we can throughout our lives, but especially when we are young.but especially when we are young. This is because, as our body ages (as well as our muscles), muscle building becomes increasingly difficult.

So, although muscle memory seems to exist and can help us a lot in this regard (in our physical recovery, for example, or in simply being in shape), we can always make things "easier" for it by doing our part. Moreover, let's not forget that without training let us not forget that without training, muscle memory does not exist..

Bibliographical references:

• Joanisse, S., Gillen, J. B., Bellamy, L. M., McKay, B. R., Tarnopolsky, M. A., Gibala, M. J., & Parise, G. (2013). Evidence for the contribution of muscle stem cells to non hypertrophic skeletal muscle remodeling in humans. The FASEB Journal, 27(11): 4596-4605.
• Martin, D., Carl, K. & Lehnertz, K. (2007). Manual of sports training methodology. Editorial Paidotribo. Barcelona.
• Moberg, M., Lindholm, M.E., Reitzner, S.M., Ekblom, B., Sundberg, C.J. & Psilander, N. (2020). Exercise induces different molecular responses in trained and untrained human muscle. Med Sci Sports Exerc.