Muscular Endurance?

DudeXCH · 29-Jul-04, 07:09 PM

Hey everyone... it has been a while since i posted here, but i just had a random question:

What, exactly, is "muscular endurance" ?

I know that it refers to a muscle's capacity to perform an exercise for an extended period of time.
However, i was wondering what actually happens that causes an increase in muscular endurance.

Is it simply a neurolgical adaptation?
Is there a physical change in the composition of the muscle?
Are there any outward visible changes that result from increased muscular endurance (better vascularity maybe?)

My current goal is hypertrophy, so this isn't very important to me, but it was just something i was wondering about, and i would appreciate it if anyone could answer any of my questions.

Thanks!

Cort · 29-Jul-04, 08:08 PM

I'm pretty sure having a dominance of slow-twitch muscle fibers is a big part of it. Also, if you train for endurance for a long time your fast-twitch fibers will change a bit to more resemble slow twitch and vice versa if you train in power/strength for a long time.

smm3 · 29-Jul-04, 08:14 PM

Also has a lot to do with energy systems, alot of scientific mumbo-jumbo.
No outward signs though, vascularity comes when there is no fat between the skin and the muscles, pushing the veins out like some kinda road map.

Be careful with the word hypertrophy though. I've learned recently that there are two kinds (just passing along a lil knowledge). The one you are referring to is myofibrillar-the increase in size and thus strength of a muscle cell. The other is sarcoplasmic-the increase in amount of the stuff around the muscle cells. Ever see a bodybuilder in the gym, and his strength isn't as impressive as his pretty muscles. That's due to that sarcoplasmic hypertrophy.... :confused:

DudeXCH · 30-Jul-04, 05:31 PM

Thanks.

I think i need to achieve some sarcosplasmic hypertrophy lol....

I used to look much stronger than I was... but now the opposite is true, I'm much stronger than i look. It's almost as if my size gains have stopped while my strength has continued to increase, yet i haven't really changed my routine very much. Strange.

For example, in the last year my bench press has gone up over 20 lbs, yet i have remained virtually the same weight and same measurements.

LifterMike · 30-Jul-04, 05:42 PM

dont forget though, that sarcoplasmic hypertrophy isnt all talk, most bodybuilders are pretty strong too, just not as much as powerlifters.

:

smm3 · 30-Jul-04, 05:47 PM

That's my favorite, Dude.

Being in the gym and somebody question the fact that you are about to throw up some mad weight....and you just rep it out.

....yep, doesn't get much better than that.

abarlament · 31-Jul-04, 12:53 AM

Also Dude, there are different types of endurance. Being able to rep a high percent of your 1rm is different from running a marathon, in terms of the muscular activity.

KetoManiac · 31-Jul-04, 02:13 AM

Too things in general:
1. becoming more effecient at the particular energy system
2. domination of particular MHC isoform

DaRkAnGel · 31-Jul-04, 02:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smm3

Also has a lot to do with energy systems, alot of scientific mumbo-jumbo.
No outward signs though, vascularity comes when there is no fat between the skin and the muscles, pushing the veins out like some kinda road map.

Be careful with the word hypertrophy though. I've learned recently that there are two kinds (just passing along a lil knowledge). The one you are referring to is myofibrillar-the increase in size and thus strength of a muscle cell. The other is sarcoplasmic-the increase in amount of the stuff around the muscle cells. Ever see a bodybuilder in the gym, and his strength isn't as impressive as his pretty muscles. That's due to that sarcoplasmic hypertrophy.... :confused:

Haha you're learning. A little to add it's not really the size of the fiber that increases the weight you are able to use but the increased creatine phosphate and the neurological aspect play just as big of roles.

smm3 · 31-Jul-04, 11:30 AM

Hells yeah, bro.

I recently had this excellent anatomy teacher who explained things so simply you couldn't help but learn. What he would say about sarcoplasm is that sarco refers to the sarcomere and plasm means "stuff" (not literally). So sarcoplasm is the "stuff" in the sarcomere.

Not very scientific, but it helps you remember the right answer for the tests.