Satellite Cells, Damage and Muscle Hypertrophy: Do we really need to damage a muscle with micro trauma to make it grow back bigger and stronger?
The old wisdom says we should tear the muscle down during a workout and then build it back up when we are resting.
The theory goes that after we have torn the muscles down, the body has cells called muscle stem cells called satellite cells which are activated once this damage has been sensed and they rush in to repair and build up (super compensate) the muscle tissue.
Many believe that these satellite cells and micro trauma are a must if we want to get bigger muscles.
This is being questioned and apparently with good reason:
No role of muscle satellite cells in hypertrophy: further evidence of a mistaken identity?
“Wang and McPherron (2012) reported that injection of low-dose myostatin inhibitor (5 and 10 mg (kg body weight)−1) resulted in 11% myofibre and whole muscle hypertrophy and was essentially absent of any BrdU incorporation (indicating there was no satellite cell proliferation)”
Worth rethinking the “tear ’em down to build ’em up” theory….
Brought to you by your Epsom & Surrey based Personal Trainer, Richard Ham Williams