How quickly the joints adapt to stress. How are adaptation and muscle gains related? Research involving women

Systematic sports training increases the functionality of the locomotor system. The maximum increase in the strength of individual muscle groups can reach 200-300%; with movements that involve many muscle groups in contraction - 80-120%. Training also improves endurance. If the maximum running speed under load increases by 28%, then endurance - more than 5 times.

The increase in strength, speed and accuracy of movements as a result of training is largely determined by adaptive changes in the central nervous system, that is, in the structures of the regulatory apparatus. As a result of prolonged strength training, the ability of the motor centers to mobilize up to 90% or more MU (at 20-35% before training) increases. During training, disinhibition of previously inhibited motoneurons occurs, which increases the number of MUs involved in muscle work.

The functional restructuring of the control apparatus during adaptation is based on the activation of the synthesis of nucleic acids and proteins in neurons, leading to structural changes that increase the efficiency of these cells. The activation of RNA and protein synthesis in neurons leads to hypertrophy of these cells.

In the process of adaptation to power loads, an increase in the mass of muscle fibers occurs. - working muscle hypertrophy... When adapting to endurance loads, muscle hypertrophy either does not occur or develops to a small extent.

In the process of long-term adaptation to physical activity, the power of the skeletal muscle energy supply system increases... When training for endurance, there is an increase in the number of mitochondria and the activity of mitochondrial enzymes per unit of muscle mass. The muscle's ability to utilize pyruvate and fatty acids is increased.

When adapting to power loads, such an increase in the power of the mitochondrial system in the muscles is not observed. In the process of adaptation to short-term high power loads, the power of the anaerobic energy production system increases, which is expressed in an increase in the content of glycogen in muscles by 1.5-3 times and in the activity of glycogen synthetase, in an increase in the power of the system of glycogenolysis and glycolysis. The endurance load leads to an increase in the synthesis of mitochondrial proteins to a much greater extent than the proteins of the enzymes of glycolysis and glycogenolysis, and the force sprint load, on the contrary, leads to a large increase in the intensity of protein synthesis of the enzymes of the glycolysis and glycogenolysis system. Endurance exercise leads to an increase in the synthesis of mitochondrial proteins not only in slow muscle fibers, but also in fast ones, and power load leads to an increase in the synthesis of glycolysis enzymes not only in fast, but also in slow fibers. This, apparently, explains the fact that in the process of adaptation, depending on the load, one can observe not only the predominance of the mass of fibers of one type over the mass of the other, but also the restructuring of the energy metabolism of both types of fibers of skeletal muscles, bringing them closer to myocardial.

An increase in the power of energy production systems is combined during adaptation with an increase in the activity of the actomyosin ATPase of muscle fibers... During training, an increase in the mass of SPR proteins and the power of the Ca 2+ transport system in the muscles is observed.

An increase in the power of the mitochondrial system in muscles is a decisive factor in increasing the endurance of a trained body. An increase in the power of the mitochondrial system increases the ability of oxidative resynthesis of ATP, promotes an increase in the intensity of pyruvate utilization and, consequently, a decrease in the accumulation of lactate in muscles.

In a trained organism, an increase in the power of the mitochondrial system in skeletal muscles significantly exceeds an increase in BMD, and an increase in endurance correlates precisely with an increase in the number of mitochondria, but not with the value of BMD. As a result of training, endurance increases 3-5 times, the number of mitochondria in skeletal muscles - 2 times, and the BMD - only 10-14%.

One of the factors that increase the endurance of a trained body is a decrease in the degree of formation in mitochondria of damaging free radical forms of oxygen and activation of LPO during intense work and at rest. An increase in the power of the mitochondrial system provides a trained body with savings in glycogen consumption during exercise. This effect is based on an increase in the ability to utilize lipids during energy production.

An increase in the performance of skeletal muscles as a result of adaptation to physical activity can also be associated with a 2-3-fold decrease in the accumulation of ammonia during work, one of the possible factors causing fatigue.

Adaptation to physical activity leads to changes in the blood supply to skeletal muscles... There is a more economical redistribution of blood in the body during exercise, due to which muscular work does not lead to a sharp decrease in blood flow in the internal organs. This phenomenon is ensured, firstly, due to the improvement of the central mechanisms of differentiated regulation of blood flow at rest and during exercise in working and non-working muscles during training, and secondly, due to an increase in the vascularization of muscle fibers and an increase in the ability of muscle tissue to utilize O 2 from the flowing blood... The latter is associated with an increase in the content of myoglobin and the power of the mitochondrial system in trained muscles.

In highly trained athletes-runners, the number of capillaries in the quadriceps muscle of the thigh reaches 500 mm 2, while 325 mm 2 in an untrained person, as a result, each muscle fiber is surrounded by 5-6 capillaries. In trained muscles of people adapted to running, the number of capillaries per muscle fiber and per 1 mm 2 of muscle section increases by 40% compared to the data for untrained people.

The increase in capillary density occurs mainly during adaptation to endurance loads. During strength training, there are no changes in the number of capillaries per muscle fiber. At the same time, the density of capillaries in the muscles even decreases.

Thus, in the process of long-term adaptation to physical activity, an increase in the strength and endurance of the body is largely determined by an increase in the functional capabilities of skeletal muscles and the apparatus for controlling motor reactions... The advantages of the functioning of the muscles of a trained organism are due to the development in the process of training of certain structural changes in the muscles themselves, as well as in the apparatus of their regulation. These structural changes are largely determined by the specificity of muscle load and can be realized in the form of working hypertrophy of muscle fibers, an increase in the power of the systems of oxidative and glycolytic resynthesis of ATP and the energy utilization system, an increase in the ability of muscles to absorb oxygen from the blood due to an increase in vascularization of muscle fibers and an increase in content in polybine them. Structural changes in the apparatus for controlling muscle work in the central nervous system increase the ability to mobilize more motor units during exercise and lead to improved intermuscular coordination.

The most appropriate for the body as a whole is training for loads on endurance, since it is this type of adaptation that is characterized by an increase in the power of the mitochondrial system and the degree of muscle vascularization, which contributes to an increase in the body's resistance to hypoxia and stress effects.

Structural and functional changes are characteristic that increase the reserve capabilities of the NMS in the process of adaptation to physical activity: under conditions of rational training loads, the number of sarcomeres in myofibrils increases, the length of myofibrils increases, the work of the contractile apparatus increases, the number of large mitochondria increases, the tubules of the sarcoplasmic reticulum expand, the level of vascularization. All this contributes to a more active functioning of the mechanism of energy supply to muscles.

1. Physiological mechanisms of muscle hypertrophy in the process of adaptation to physical activity

The increase in muscle size as a result of physical training is called working muscle hypertrophy.

Distinguish sarcoplasmic and myofibrillar types of muscle fiber hypertrophy.

Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy- This is a thickening of muscle fibers due to a predominant increase in the volume of sarcoplasm. There is an increase in the content of non-contractile (mitochondrial) proteins and metabolic reserves of muscle fibers: (glycogen, nitrogen-free substances, creatine phosphate, myoglobin, etc.). The increase in capillary count as a result of exercise can also cause some muscle thickening. This hypertrophy increases muscle endurance.

Myofibrillar hypertrophy associated with an increase in the number and volume of myofibrils, i.e. the proper contractile apparatus of muscle fibers. This increases the packing density of myofibrils in the muscle fiber. This hypertrophy leads to significant muscle growth.

Hypertrophy of different types of muscle fibers is determined by the training method. Fast muscle fibers are hypertrophied primarily under the influence of exercises that require the manifestation of speed strength. During static work, their hypertrophy occurs only in the case of extreme directions in intensity and duration. The use of large weights with a small number of repetitions and a high speed of movement leads to selective hypertrophy of BS fibers, while the volume of MC fibers remains unchanged.

Long-term adaptation of muscles at limiting and near-limiting speed-power loads, leading to the development of strength, is associated with significant muscle hypertrophy, especially BS fibers, which leads to a significant increase in their area in the cross section of muscle tissue. Under such loads, there are no noticeable changes in muscle vascularization, and the power of the mitochondrial system in muscles does not change. At the same time, there is a restructuring of the energy metabolism of muscle fibers in the direction of increasing the power of the glycolytic resynthesis system.

When adapting to running long and medium distances (endurance training without a strength component), hypertrophy is not observed in the working muscles.


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Famous athlete Jerry Rice who plays for the "San Francisco 49ers" has a large number of records in American football. He can be called one of the best players, but recently Jerry nearly lost his career due to a serious injury that made him unable to work. During the first season play, a player's knee was shattered. When watching the video, you can see the whole chain of events when the player's knee, by the will of an accident, turned to the side by 45 degrees. The player's front ligaments were badly torn, all predicting Rice's retirement from the sport.

Perhaps no person who makes his living in this way would be able to fully recover from such damage and continue hard training, showing a good game. But Jerry Rice had other plans.

Jerry continued to play football, in the same year he returned to his previous form. The athlete claimed to have a secret weapon in the form of food, which has already been used in some cases when returning to the sport. This nutrition helps to repair damaged connective tissue.

After 15 weeks of rehabilitation, the athlete again entered the football field during the game "Monday Night football", which shocked the whole world with his results. Jerry played like he had never been injured. This food, which has been used by Rice and other famous athletes, can be very powerful for those who want to keep their joints healthy or repair damage.

Until now, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroids and surgery have been used to treat joint diseases. It has long been known that these synthetic drugs have strong side effects that can be beneficial in inflammatory conditions. But it never took away the cause that was causing the pain and swelling - connective tissue damage... This is due to the fact that drugs mask but do not cure the disease.

Better than drugs

Hosted by Jerry Rice and many other athletes, it is now available to all bodybuilders. They helped solve joint problems. These are herbal, all-natural blends that have the same anti-inflammatory properties as other dangerous medicines. But unlike the latter, they can really solve connective tissue problems. The products can be used even throughout the whole year, it is completely safe.

As we age, our joints are exposed to a lot of stress during frequent exercise, so the substances that are in the body and are responsible for the safety of the joints may simply not cope with the needs. Supplementation with dietary supplements is a safe and natural therapy.

There are two products that have been shown to be highly effective in the treatment and prevention of damaged joints.

1. Chondroitin.

are vital components of cartilage that are part of the connective tissue system. Cartilage gives and maintains the shape of connective tissue, and is also found in the joints and between the dorsal vertebrae. It should be remembered that cartilage is the cushioning system of the human body... It is they who help to soften shocks when performing various human movements. As we age, the water content in cartilage decreases and causes a decrease in joint mobility, thereby increasing the risk of painful injuries during exercise. Connective tissues and joints can also undergo more serious injuries, such as a ruptured Achilles tendon or arthritis. are also part of the walls of blood vessels, therefore, are very important to maintain normal circulation. According to recent research, these vitamins are not only beneficial for treating connective tissue damage. They prevent injury from occurring, which is a smarter strategy than treating injuries after they have occurred. Chondroitin is produced by the body on its own, but with age, its amount and production decrease. Therefore, you can use it as a food supplement as research has shown that it is highly digestible.

2.Glucosamine.

The product is good prevention for joints and for the treatment of injuries... is an amino sugar that is essential for the maintenance and formation of healthy connective tissue. plays a very important role in the formation and maintenance of the integrity of tendons, eyes, bones, skin, cerebrospinal fluid, ligaments and heart valves. Tissue loss of glucosamine can lead to early cell destruction, loss of flexibility, cellular function, and weakening connective tissue.

As with chondroitin, glucosamine production works well during adolescence and adolescence, but decreases subsequently. Studies have shown that taking glucosamine internally is very effective. Over the past 10 years, a number of studies have been carried out which have shown that glucosamine supplementation holds promise for the treatment of diseases, degenerative processes, damaged joints and prevention. In athletes who use it, connective tissue strength is increased, flexibility is improved, inflammation is reduced, and fewer injuries occur.

In addition to the above products, you can add, MSM,. With these products, you can relieve joint pain, improve your health, ligament and tendon integrity. This will allow you to train harder and build more muscle by working out in the gym.

Allocate 2 type of adaptation- urgent (imperfect) and long-term (perfect).

1. Urgent adaptation occurs immediately after the onset of the stimulus and can be realized on the basis of ready-made, previously formed physiological mechanisms and programs (an increase in heat production in response to cold, an increase in heat transfer in response to heat, an increase in pulmonary ventilation, shock and minute blood volume in response to physical activity and lack of oxygen, adaptation of the organ of vision to darkness, etc.). Distinctive feature urgent adaptation is the fact that the body's activity proceeds at the limit of its capabilities with almost complete mobilization of physiological reserves, but it does not always provide the necessary adaptive effect.

Urgent adaptation to physical activity is characterized by the maximum level and uneconomical hyperfunction, responsible for the adaptation of the functional system, a sharp decrease in the physiological reserves of this system, the phenomena of excessive stress reaction of the body and possible damage to organs and systems.

2. Long-term adaptation arises gradually, as a result of prolonged or repeated action on the body of environmental factors. It does not arise on the basis of ready-made physiological mechanisms, but on the basis of newly formed regulation programs.

Long-term adaptation develops on the basis of repeated implementation of urgent adaptation and is characterized by the fact that as a result of the gradual quantitative accumulation of some changes, the body acquires a new quality in a certain type of activity. As a result, the body provides the body with previously unattainable strength, speed and endurance during physical exertion, the development of the body's resistance to significant hypoxia, which was previously incompatible with active vital activity, the body's ability to work with significantly altered homeostasis indicators, the development of resistance to cold, heat, large doses of poisons, the introduction of which was previously fatal.

In the process of adaptation of the organism, energy metabolism is rebuilt in the direction of more economical expenditure of energy at rest and increased metabolic power under conditions of physical stress.

Thus, long-term adaptation is accompanied by the following physiological processes:

a) restructuring of regulatory mechanisms,

b) mobilization and use of the reserve capabilities of the body,

c) the formation of a special functional system of adaptation to a specific labor (sports) human activity

These three physiological reactions are the main and main components of the adaptation process, and the general biological regularity of such adaptive rearrangements applies to any human activity.

Muscle adaptation- an integral part of the training process. Absolutely every admirer of bodybuilding at one time comes across such a concept as muscle adaptation. Any muscle, feeling the same load, over time, simply gets used to it.

It is impossible to argue that this phenomenon has only a negative effect. For example, in sports such as boxing, karate or any other contact sport, as well as jumping and the like, they see positive changes in muscle adaptation.

Multiple strikes, as well as throws, are practiced to the point of automatism, which in many ways helps to win the competition. And this addiction is one of the manifestations of muscle adaptation.

It is not considered negatively in powerlifting either. In bodybuilding, the interpretation of the term "muscle adaptation" is already reduced to the habituation of a muscle to a certain type of load. This is bad because over time, the effectiveness of the exercises begins to decrease, and the achieved growth rates of muscle tissue begin to show negative dynamics.

Athletes, in the vast majority of cases, try to change every few months. However, beginners do not need this rush at all. An untrained body gets used to the load much worse and for this reason the same exercise, performed systematically, can give the desired result even after six months.

How to make sure that muscle adaptation does not interfere

Currently, there are several effective ways. The first method is prophylactic; it will hardly help an athlete who has been in the adaptation zone for a long time. It consists in a systematic change in the weights of the shells. It's simple, if an athlete engages with the same weight for a long time, or changes it just slightly (a typical example is breast pumping according to the 4X12 scheme), then the muscles quickly get used to this level of load and simply stop responding to it.

It is impossible to take the athlete out of the adaptation zone by simply changing the weight, and it is quite possible to extend the time of effective training to 12-15 weeks, each time changing the weight.

The athlete's muscles get used not only to a specific weight, but also to the number of repetitions / approaches, it is quite logical to assume that by changing the number of each workout, you can forget about muscle adaptation for a long time. Given that a change in the number of repetitions / approaches is necessarily accompanied by a change in weight, the total duration of obtaining a result from a workout reaches about six months. Unfortunately, muscles also adapt to certain movements. It is this adaptation that is the most dangerous in bodybuilding for the simple reason that once getting used to it, the muscles will never be able to forget this movement. And given that the vast majority of athletes use a limited set of exercises, then everyone will face muscle adaptation. Moreover, the athlete is not able to significantly change the movement, since he changes the weight or the number of repetitions.

Muscle growth is possible only through the adaptation of the body to stress. Every athlete should remember this. Learn all about adapting muscles for growth in bodybuilding.

The effect of homeostasis on muscles


The human body always strives to maintain balance (homeostasis). For this, he has many different mechanisms. During training, the load forces a large number of muscle parameters to deviate from balance. The degree of this displacement is influenced by various factors, for example, the intensity or nature of the physical activity.

When the lesson ends and the loads are removed, then response mechanisms are triggered in the body, the task of which is to restore the lost balance. Thus, the body adapts to the loads that the athlete used. At the same time, certain changes are taking place, which should prevent the emergence of a new imbalance in the future.

Thus, bodybuilding training is an athlete-directed process of adaptation of the body to the load. It is customary to divide adaptation into two types:

  1. Urgent- occurs with a single exposure to the body of an external load. This type of adaptation can include the restoration of energy reserves and resources of the central nervous system.
  2. Long-term- a response that occurs when multiple loads accumulate, each of which caused an urgent adaptation.

The role of supercompensation in muscle adaptation


Muscle work leads to some fluctuations in internal parameters, for example, the level of creatine phosphate decreases, glycogen stores in muscle tissues are depleted, etc. When the load ceases to affect the body, due to the recovery processes in a certain period of time, the level of substances necessary for the muscles to work exceeds the initial, which was observed before the start of the training. This phenomenon is called supercompensation. Basically, this is the growth of muscle tissue.

Also, two important features of this phenomenon should be noted:

  • The stage of supercompensation is rather short-lived and the level of all energetic substances soon begins to return to the initial level. Simply put, with a long pause between workouts, the athlete can lose everything that was gained during all previous training sessions.
  • The more energy was lost during the training, the more intense the recovery processes will be.
However, the second feature appears only under certain conditions. When the loads are high enough, the recovery processes slow down. This, in turn, affects the timing of the onset of the supercompensation stage. Also, a state of overtraining is associated with high loads, when the body is not able to recover on its own.

The recovery of other parameters trained by the athlete proceeds in a similar way. First, there is a decrease in the body's capabilities, after rest, the stage of supercompensation begins.

Muscle growth rules


It should be said right away that muscle growth is possible only if the adaptation of muscle tissue is summed up after each training session. Moreover, this summation must take place strictly according to certain rules.

Rule # 1

When repeated training is carried out at the supercompensation stage, a positive interaction of all training effects arises. This leads to long-term adaptation and, as a consequence, to muscle growth. Progress moves forward with every small step. Of course, every athlete wants to get a quick result, but unfortunately this does not happen.

Rule # 2

New muscle training after a long rest will not give the expected effect. This is due to the fact that each such training session starts at a low level.

Rule # 3

Frequent training sessions will not lead to growth, as the recovery phase is interrupted. For growth, muscle tissue must not only recover, but also slightly exceed the previous level of development.

It must be said that the rules described above work only in the long term and show that there is some progress. At the same time, within the limits of several training sessions, training at the stage of underrecovery is quite possible. This can have a positive effect in the future.


To achieve the task set for oneself, it is necessary to determine the level of load, thanks to which the maximum possible growth will be achieved. The recovery time to the supercompensation stage should also be calculated. After that, you have to load the body with a certain frequency. However, it is very simple only on paper. In practice, there is one serious caveat.

It is important to remember that muscle growth is a complex process that affects not only muscle cells, but also a large number of other parameters. For example, supercompensation of the creatine phosphate level appears within a few minutes after the load is removed. It will take a couple of days to restore glycogen stores, and the muscle cells themselves can recover over several days. As can be understood from all of the above, adapting muscles to growth in bodybuilding is a rather complex process that requires a lot of attention to yourself.

Speaking of muscle growth, it is impossible not to touch upon the issue of protein compounds that are necessary for this process. Every athlete wants to know what kind of training helps to accelerate the synthesis of proteins in muscle tissues. Unfortunately, science today is not ready to answer this question. There are several hypotheses. The most popular assumption is that when protein compounds are destroyed during a training session, an acceleration of their synthesis will subsequently be observed. However, it is still difficult to say how close this hypothesis is to the truth.

For the factors that affect muscle growth, see this video.