Skeletal muscle is one of the most adaptable types of tissue in the human body, and muscle growth is a complex biological process that occurs at the cell’s molecular level. It involves the interplay between many cellular organelles (parts of a cell) and the growth factors (hormone and hormone-like compounds) that stimulate them. Studied for centuries, only recently have scientists come to fully understand this complex process of muscle growth technically referred to as hypertrophy.

Muscle growth is the body’s basic healing response to the ‘damage’ to the muscle tissue caused by weight or resistance training. As someone exercises and stresses their muscles, their muscle tissue develops many small rips or tears, commonly referred to as ‘micro tears’. This, in turn, disrupts some cell parts called satellite cells which are located on the exterior surface of the muscle fiber. They then migrate to the site of the fiber damage and begin to fuse themselves and the damaged fibers together. This activity leads to an increase of muscle mass in the damaged areas.

Muscle growth is also stimulated by various growth hormones which play an active role. During strength training exercises, the anterior pituitary gland in the brain is stimulated to release growth hormones. This activity causes fat to be metabolized for energy use as the muscle growing process takes place. How much growth hormone is released depends on the intensity of the weight or resistance training workout. The uptake and use of amino acids into the skeletal muscle’s protein is also stimulated by the excretion of growth hormones.

Testosterone, a human hormone present in both men and women, also has a direct affect on muscle growth during this process. It serves to promote the presence of neurotransmitters at the damaged muscle fiber site, further stimulating muscle tissue growth. Testosterone is also thought to influence the activity of satellite cells at the damage site.

The growth of muscle tissue happens when the muscle can synthesize protein at a higher rate than the rate of muscle protein breakdown. The rate of actual muscle growth is generally pretty slow, although resistance training directly stimulates it. It generally takes several weeks for the new muscle growth to become visible.

Many studies have shown that both women and men respond to strength training in a similar way. Differences in gender, though, affecting hormone levels, body size, and body composition can produce far different amounts of muscle growth than what a person might hope to attain. The factor of aging also plays a role in muscle growth, due to the fact that muscle mass tends to diminish as the body ages. This loss of muscle tissue mass – sarcopenia – can, however, be reversed with a regular regimen of resistance training. Regular training also provides the benefit of preventing injury and speeding rehabilitation by strengthening the connective tissues that surround skeletal muscle.

If you can build a regimen around a well planned, complementary diet and the proper weight training exercises, you can maximize the amount of muscle development you can realistically expect to achieve.

Darrin Paulsent was a former weakling who now studies and writes about building body muscle. To see more of his methods and exercises on how to build muscle how it’s really supposed to be done, click here!

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