Is it true that human muscles don’t split but rather grow larger? I can see the benefit in this because if they did split after they got too big, you’d be dividing already mutated cells and putting yourself for greater risk for cancer? Is there a difference between muscle cells and muscle fibers? If so, is it the muscle fibers that divide rather than the cells? Also, I remember my old nutrition teacher explaining that obese people, even after they lose the weight don’t lose their fat cell # and have millions upon millions of more fat cells than the average person. Is that also true for muscle cells? Does that mean an obese person who loses a tremendous amount of weight has the potential to get big (not in the fat sense of course) because they have more muscle cells that are capable of hypertrophing? (with a heavy protein diet of course) Also, even though there are limiting factors to muscle growth, even if you removed or inhibited all the genes that inhibit muscle growth like statins (yes there are other statins aside from myostatin that inhibit muscle growth it would seem, however myostatin is the main culprit apparently), wouldn’t there still be a limit to how “big” you could get? I mean, come on, we all know that a guy who is say, 5’5 could probably never, reach 400-500lbs with maybe <or equal to 10% bf even with intense training and working out and steroid supplementation. If I remember correctly, the body can only absorb so many steroids before the rest gets arromatized. I mean, even if this guy could live forever, it would be practically impossible for his bone structure to even accomidate that much weight right? I’m confused here. Thanks guys.
very interesting topic. i don’t have an answer, but something to add. i would like to think that we actually do grow additional muscle cells themselves while training. after a long time, these cells (maybe) multiply somewhat and become a lot larger. but for extended periods away from the gym, 6 months or so, you shrink up. loose seemingly a lot of muscle. but, from my own experience, i can swell back up to where i was in about a 12 week period. and have about 90% of my strength. did my muscle cells disappear, or just shrink up ??? i would like to believe that in my experience, that even though i did not have the same size muscle, but they did not deteriorate and disappear. for example, i got back into lifting at the first of december. my arms were 16.5", and could only bench 225 for 3 reps. after 3 months, i was back up to an 18.25" arm and doing 315 for 5. i did mag-10 for 3 weeks during that time, but i don’t think even steriods could do the same like that for a person if they were just starting from scratch… there’s always been periods in my life where i had to take off of training for extended periods of time due to work, and i know that when i get back, it doesn’t take long at all to get back into shape… ol’ muscle Memory !!
In general, humans see an increase in muscle cell size due to an inreased quantity of muscle contractile proteins (actin and myosin) or more sarcoplasm. The muscle cells increase in size but do not divide becaused there is no nuclei for a new cell. That is where satellite cells come into play. These new undifferentiated cells can donate their nuclei and allow for a muscle cell to divide, but this does not happen in appreciable amounts in humans.
Most people that are obese have both a large quantity of body fat and muscle (you have to build a lot of muscle to carry and move all the extra weight). What you mention about fat cell number in the obese is true, but I doubt is the same in their muscles. They probably just have an appreciable amount of hypertrophy. I also agree with what Podge mentioned about “muscle memory”. I think that it is very hard to make new progress in muscular growth, but it is always faster to get back into your old shape after a layoff.
As for the total limit on muscle growth that someone can attain. I think that we are seeing it now. I don’t know the mechanism, but according to Tim Patterson, steroids can override the effects of myostatin. Just look at Flex Wheeler. He supposedly has a mutation in his myostatin gene, but he is not as big as half the other competitive bodybuilders.
Muscle cells, or muscle fibers, do not divide. Each fiber runs the entire length of the muscle and contains many smaller contractile units called myofibrils, which also run the entire length of the cell/muscle. Muscle growth is attributed to an increased number of myofibrils inside each muscle cell, also making you stronger, or an increased volume of sarcoplasm, the fluid in the cell.
Fat is contained in adipose cells. When skinny people start getting fatter, more of these cells, or “fat storage containers” are built, and then filled with fat. However, they never go away. When a fat person starts losing fat, they are taking the fat from these storage containers and burning it. This is why it is much easier to get fat after you’ve already been fat. You don’t have to rebuild any storage containers, they’re still there from the last time, they only need to be filled up.