[quote]GluteusGigantis wrote:
Effect of body build on weight-training-induced adaptations in body composition and muscular strength.
Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 26(4):515, April 1994.
VAN ETTEN, LUDO M. L. A.; VERSTAPPEN, FRANS T. J.; WESTERTERP, KLAAS R.
Abstract:
The aim of the present study was to investigate whether weight-training-induced adaptations in body composition and isokinetic strength differ as a function of body build. Body build of a subject was characterized as the extent to which a person’s fat-free mass index (FFMI = fat-free mass-height-2; kg-m-2) differs from the regression of FFMI over fat mass index (FMI = fat mass-height-2; kg-m-2) as derived from a sedentary male population (N = 77). From this population two groups with either a slender (N = 10) or a solid (N = 11) body build were selected. For 12 wk the subjects performed a weight-training program twice a week. Training induced a significant (P < 0.05) increase in fat-free mass (FFM) in the solid group (1.6 kg, 2.3%) in contrast with the slender group, which showed no significant change in FFM. Both groups showed comparable decreases in fat mass (FM; slender: -1.7 kg, -10.8% versus solid: -2.4 kg, -11.3%) and increases in strength (on average 13.8%). In conclusion, the increase in FFM due to a weight-training program is modified by body build. This modification, however, is restricted to a larger increase in the solidly built group[/quote]
Translation: those with more naturally occurring muscle mass gained even more muscle when weight training than those who were naturally skinny even though both saw a decrease body fat.
Faults of the study: It lists no monitoring of food intake and apparently didn’t take calories taken in into account for any of the changes seen. People are really skinny for a reason…ie. they don’t eat much. People who are more “solid” as they put it DO eat more. It makes sense that the people not afraid to eat in the first place would gain more muscle just from that alone.
[quote]Professor X wrote:
Faults of the study: It lists no monitoring of food intake and apparently didn’t take calories taken in into account for any of the changes seen. People are really skinny for a reason…ie. they don’t eat much. People who are more “solid” as they put it DO eat more. It makes sense that the people not afraid to eat in the first place would gain more muscle just from that alone.[/quote]
I agree with that point entirely.
That is what I’ve always thought about the whole exto/endo/meso thing. When are people’s eating habits and activity levels taken into account prior to starting bodybuilding and for that matter, how are they measured as they start gaining.
People seem to confuse genetics with “I’m lazy and don’t eat very much” or “I eat a lot and do 15 hours of sport a week”.
The other points about that study are untrained people, so we can’t necessarily generalize these results to all individuals, plus they were quite selective in who they included and excluded from the training study. Interesting paper, but its been out 15 years and only been referenced 18 times. That means no one really cares and it didn’t have very relevant or significant findings.
This paper is often referred to by people who try to say that no-one program should be given to anyone, because it all comes down to the individual.
Funny thing about the program used in this study is that the rep range was up around the 15RM level, which isn’t a rep range associated with eliciting hypertrophy anyway.
[quote]Professor X wrote:
People are really skinny for a reason…ie. they don’t eat much. People who are more “solid” as they put it DO eat more. It makes sense that the people not afraid to eat in the first place would gain more muscle just from that alone.[/quote]
This is true indeed, but in the context of this thread - does this mean you think that somatotypes are simply decided by the amount of food one eats? Or given another way - that somatotypes do not exist, and calorie consumption is the only variable? I am sure you do not think this - as a biologist, but i just wanted to confirm this as the post is a little unclear to that point.