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Progression of volume load and muscular adaptation during resistance exercise

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Abstract

Volume load (VL) is suggested to influence the adaptation of muscle to resistance exercise (RE). We sought to examine the independent association between total VL and hypertrophy and strength following a progressive RE protocol of equated sets and intensity. Total VL was calculated in 83 subjects (n = 43 males, n = 40 females; age = 25.12 ± 5.5 years) who participated in unilateral arm RE for 12 weeks. Subjects were tested for biceps muscle volume (MRI of the upper arm), isometric maximal voluntary contraction (MVC), and dynamic biceps strength (1RM), at baseline and following RE. Linear regression analysis revealed that sex was a significant predictor of hypertrophy (β = 0.06; p = 0.01) and strength (β = 0.14; p = 0.04), and that males had greater increases. Total VL was independently associated with hypertrophy only among females (β = 0.12; p < 0.01). For males, only baseline strength was (inversely) related to hypertrophy (β = −0.12; p = 0.04). VL was strongly associated with changes in 1RM strength improvement for both males (β = 0.66; p < 0.01) and females (β = 0.26; p = 0.02), but only related to MVC among females (β = 0.20; p = 0.02). Findings reveal that VL was independently associated with hypertrophy only among females. For males baseline strength was independently and inversely related to changes in muscle mass. Conversely, VL was found to be strongly associated with changes in 1RM for both males and females, controlling for age, body mass, and baseline strength.

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Acknowledgments

We acknowledge Ms. Pheobe Stapleton and Mr. Mathew Kampert for their assistance with this investigation. This research was supported by the NIH, NICHD, NCMRR Grant #5-T32-HD007422. No financial disclosures were reported by the authors of this paper. The results of the present study do not constitute endorsement by ACSM.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Laboratory for Physical Activity and Exercise Intervention Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Mark D. Peterson & Paul M. Gordon

  2. Muscle Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Emidio Pistilli

  3. Department of Human Performance, West Virginia University, Morgantown, VA, USA

    G. Gregory Haff

  4. Research Center for Genetics, Children’s National Medical Center, Washington, USA

    Eric P. Hoffman

  5. Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Michigan, 325 E. Eisenhower, Suite 300, Ann Arbor, MI, 48108, USA

    Paul M. Gordon

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  1. Mark D. Peterson
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  2. Emidio Pistilli
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  3. G. Gregory Haff
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  4. Eric P. Hoffman
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  5. Paul M. Gordon
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Correspondence to Paul M. Gordon.

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Communicated by William Kraemer.

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421_2010_1735_MOESM1_ESM.doc

Percent change in muscle hypertrophy among males stratified by median baseline strength capacity, into low (n = 17) and high (n = 19) strength groups (DOC 26 kb)

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Peterson, M.D., Pistilli, E., Haff, G.G. et al. Progression of volume load and muscular adaptation during resistance exercise. Eur J Appl Physiol 111, 1063–1071 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-010-1735-9

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