Although the cross sectional area
of the muscle increases, the density
of muscle fibres per unit area
decreases, and there is no increase
in muscular strength. This type of
hypertrophy is mainly a result of
high rep, ‘bodybuilder-type’ training.
However, there is some scientific
evidence that states a bigger
muscle may have a better chance of
becoming a stronger muscle, once
maximal strength training methods
are employed. This type of hyper-
trophy has little to do with such
explosive movements as hitting,
running, throwing, jumping or
performing a one-rep max. This is
why professional bodybuilders, with
training methods consisting mainly
of hypertrophies, cause an increase
in the non-contractile components
of the muscle (sarcoplasmic volume,
capillary density, and mitochondria
proliferation) are not the fastest or
even the strongest of all athletes.
The volume of sarcoplasmic fluid
inside the cell and between the
cells is increased with high volume
training. This type of training
contributes little to maximal strength
while it does increase strength
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endurance due to mitochondria
hypertrophy. Growth of connective
tissue is also present with
sarcoplasmic hypertrophy.
Myofibrillar Hypertrophy:
Myofibrillar hypertrophy, on the
other hand, is an enlargement
of the muscle fibre as it gains more
myofibrils, which contract and
generate tension in the muscle. With
this type of hypertrophy, the area
density of myofibrils increases
and there is a significantly greater
ability to exert muscular strength.
This type of hypertrophy is best
accomplished by training with
heavy weights for low reps.
It is imperative for performance
athletes to incorporate maximal
strength training methods (1-5 reps),
which train the part of the muscle
responsible for these explosive
contractions, into their routines.
Repetitions in the 1-5 rep range,
using 85 – 100% of a 1RM, also have
the added benefit of training the
nervous system.
Some of the many benefits of
training the nervous system are:
increased neural drive to the
muscle, increased synchronization
of motor units, increased activation
of the contractile apparatus,
and decreased inhibition by the
protective mechanisms of the
muscle (golgi tendon organ). These
training methods also hypertrophy
the pure fast twitch fibres – the
high-threshold, Type IIB fibers.
Incorporating these training meth-
ods into your routine at the right
time will undoubtedly improve your
muscles ability to generate more
force and contract maximally
during any sporting activity. In
essence, myofibrillar hypertrophy
is functional hypertroph K