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Muscle hypertophy in bodybuilders

Article in European Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology · February 1982
DOI: 10.1007/BF00441291 · Source: PubMed

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 European Journal of
Eur J Appl Physiol (1982) 49:301-306
Applied
Physiology
and Occupational Physiology
9 Springer-Verlag 1982

Muscle Hypertrophy in BodybuUders

Per A. Tesch and Lars Larsson
Department of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institute, S-104 01 Stockholm, Sweden
Department of Physiology III, Karolinska Institute, S-104 01 Stockholm, Sweden

Summary. Muscle biopsy samples were obtained from m. vastus lateralis and
m. deltoideus of three high caliber bodybuilders. Tissue specimens were
analysed with respect to relative distribution of fast twitch (FT) and slow
twitch (ST) fiber types and different indices of fiber area. In comparison to a
reference group of competitive power/weight-lifters the following tendencies
were observed: the percentage of FT fibers was less, mean fiber area was
smaller and selective FT fiber hypertrophy was not evident. Values for fiber
type composition and fiber size were more similar to values reported for
physical education students and non-strength trained individuals. The results
suggest that weight training induced muscle hypertrophy may be regulated
by different mechanisms depending upon the volume and intensity of
exercise.

Key words: Muscle fiber types - Muscle fiber size - Muscle hypertrophy -
Muscle strength

Introduction

It is well documented that skeletal muscle hypertrophy, manifested in increased

weight or cross-sectional area of muscle, occurs as a result of overloading
induced either by surgical manipulation or by training (cf. Goldberg et al. 1975).
Is is generally believed that such an increase in muscle volume is due to
enlargement of individual muscle fibers (Morpurgo 1897; Goldberg et al. 1975;
Gollnick et al. 1981) as a result of an enhanced protein synthesis, increased size
and number of myofibrils and addition of sarcomeres within the individual
muscle fiber (Goldspink 1964; Denny-Brown 1961). The hypertrophy seen in

Offprint requests to: Per A. Tesch, Department of Environmental Medicine (address see
above)

0301-5548/82/0049/0301/$ 01.20
302 P . A . Tesch and L. Larsson

strength trained athletes has been attributed to a supranormal size of individual

muscle fibers (Edstr6m and Ekblom 1972; Gollnick et al. 1972; Prince et al.
1976; H/iggmark et al. 1978). Recently, however, several reports have proposed
hyperplasia, induced by longitudinal fiber splitting, as an alternative mechanism
for skeletal muscle hypertrophy (Rowe and Goldspink 1968; Reitsma 1969;
Gonyea 1981). To further study the influence of specific long-term exercise
stress on over-all muscle hypertrophy, biopsy samples from the muscle of
successful bodybuilders were examined with special regard to muscle fiber
composition and size. These athletes are characterized by possessing an
extraordinary body composition, indicated by gigantic limb circumferences and
low percent body fat (Katch et al. 1980; Spitler et al. 1980).

Subjects and Methods

Three bodybuilders volunteered to take part in this study1). They were examined the day following a
Mr. Scandinavia contest, in which all finished among the top five participants. Age, height, weight
and percent body fat as calculated from skinfold measurements (Hermansen and yon D6beln 1971),
averaged 25 (20-32) years, 177 (173-183) cm, 84 (80-88) kg and 4 (2-6) %.
Muscle biopsies (Bergstr6m 1962) were obtained from m. vastus lateralis and the lateral portion
of m. deltoideus. Cross-sections of the samples were histochemically stained for myofibrillar ATPase
and N A D H tetrazolium reductase. Individual fibers were identified either as fast twitch (FT) or slow
twitch (ST), and fiber type distribution (%FT and %FT area) and fiber area (FT, ST and mean fiber
area) were calculated. FF fibers were further subdivided into FTa and FTb (cf. Tesch 1980). Strength
measurements were performed during velocity controlled leg extensions at selected constant angular
velocities (Hislop and Perrine 1967) using a commercial dynamometer (Cybex II, Lumex Inc., NY,
USA). Two reference groups of physical education students, (1) n = 50, 23 (19-32) years, 180
(171-190) cm, 72 (62-89) kg, and (2) n = 12, 21 (19-26) years, 181 (174-185) cm, 72 (66-80) kg,
and one group of national elite power- and weight-lifters, n = 8, 26 (19-31) years, 170 (164-178)
cm, 85 (75-104) kg, were selected for comparison.

Results

Fiber type distribution in m. vastus lateralis and m. deltoideus averaged 44

(37-49) and 36 (29-41) %FT, respectiveliy. The corresponding values for a
reference group, comprising non-strength trained physical education students
(n = 12), were 53 (29-79) and 50 (36-67) %FT. The percentage of FTa and
FTb in m. vastus lateralis averaged 40 (37-49) and 4 (0-6) respectively. Values
for m. deltoideus were 33 (27-41) and 3 (0-8) % respectively. Values for mean
fiber area were 62 (47-74) and 47 (44-49) ~m2- 100 in bodybuilders and 62
(36-92) and 56 (41-70) ~tm2. 100 in the reference group. Values for fiber type
distribution and different indices of fiber area of m. vastus lateralis and m.
deltoideus respectively are presented in Table 1. Information on muscle strength
of bodybuilders, power- and weight-lifters and physical education students is
summarized in Table 2.

1 The study was approved by the Human Ethics Committee at Karolinska Institutet, Stock-
holm
Muscle Hypertrophy in Bodybuilders 303

Table 1. Mean (range) values for fiber type distribution and fiber area in bodybuilders (n = 3) and
physical education students (1) n = 50 and (2) n = 12

%FT %FT FT area, ST area, FT/ST Mean

area ~tm2- 100 ~tm2. 100 fiber area,
~m 2' 100

M. vastus latcralis
Bodybuilders 44 50 71 54 1.3 62
(37-49) (42-57) (53-84) (44-66) (1,2-1.4) (47-74)
Reference group (1) 53 57 67 56 1.2 62
(29-79) (28-77) (37-102)(29-89) (0.9-1.9) (32-92)

M. deltoideus
Bodybuilders 36 42 55 44 1.3 47
(29-41) (32-48) (51-60) (39-47) (1.1-1.3) (44-49)
Reference group (2) 50 57 62 48 1.3 56
(36-67) (40-78) (43-81) (38-60) (1.1-1.6) (41-70)

Table 2. Mean (range) values for muscle strength in leg extension at two different angular velocities
(i. e., peak torque at 30 and 180~ 9s -a) in bodybuilders (n = 3), power- and weight-lifters (n = 8) and
physical education students (n = 50). Values on fiber type distribution and fiber size of m. vastus
lateralis are included for comparison

%FT area Mean fiber Muscle strength,

area, Nm - kg -1 b.w.
~m2. 100
30~ . s-1 180 ~ . s-1

Bodybuilders 50 62 3.9 2.7

(42-57) (47-74) (3.2-4.7) (2.5-3.0)
Power- and weight-lifters 69 79 4.5 2.8
(62-77) (56-108) (3.9-5.1) (2.5-3.1)
Physical education students 57 62 2.8 2.1
(28-77) (32-92) (1.5-3.8) (1.3-2.7)

Discussion

We did not observe any sign of individual muscle fiber enlargement in either
thigh or shoulder muscles of successful bodybuilders. Thus, despite the
considerably greater body weight per height and less body fat in bodybuilders
compared to habitually trained and age matched men, mean fiber area did not
differ. MacDougall et al. (1980), studying the triceps muscle of bodybuilders,
made a similar observation and speculated on an upper limit for the
cross-sectional area of fibers undergoing hypertrophy. Accordingly, a greater
total number of muscle fibers was suggested to explain the hypertrophied
muscles of bodybuilders. In a recent study by Schantz et al. (1981), in which
304 P.A. Tesch and L. Larsson

bodybuilders were included, it was concluded that muscle cross-sectional area is

reflected in mean fiber area, thus confirming H~iggmark et al. (1978). The
present finding does not appear to be due either to methodological errors
(coefficient of variation) which have ranged from 11-17% (Thorstensson et al.
1977; Tesch 1980), or to errors of interpretation, since the fiber size variation
among the six samples was small and in no case were any extremely large fibers
observed.
Competitive bodybuilders requires repeated activation and overloading of
muscles comprising the entire body, and weight exercises for quadriceps and
deltoid muscles are performed extensively, so that the selection of the muscles
examined is not open to question.
The use of anabolic steroids among these athletes is recorded (Wright 1980).
Typically, athletes take anabolic steroids, which may cause water retention, for a
period ending approximately one to two weeks prior to a contest. Subsequently,
rigorous diet and fluid restrictions are maintained; intake of salt and
carbohydrates is kept at a minimum and fluids are allowed only in small
quantities. Carbohydrate intake is increased substantially, beginning 24-48 h
before the contest. Hence rehydration, recuperation and normalization of
muscle glycogen levels had probably occurred at the time of the present
examination, factors which might have affected determination of muscle fiber
area. In fact acute glycogen depletion with a concomitant water loss, caused by
prolonged heavy exercise, has tended to induce increases in mean fiber area as
reflected by histochemical staining procedures (Forsberg et al. 1978). We have
therefore ruled out the possibility that drug administration, diet or fluid
restrictions have had any impact on our results.
If postnatal skeletal muscle fiber number is constant, as has been suggested
(Goldberg et al. 1975), the "normal" muscle fiber size of successful and muscular
bodybuilders might be due to an inherited larger number of muscle cells.
Recently, a surprisingly great variation in total fiber number of muscle obtained
from foetuses and infants was observed (Colling-Saltin 1980), which indicates
different muscle growth potentials in humans. Alternatively, our findings may
reflect exercise induced formation of new muscle fibers in bodybuilders, either
by longitudinal fiber splitting (Reitsma 1969; Gonyea 1981) or due to the
development of satellite cells (SaUeo et al. 1980). A case report (Etemadi and
Hosseini 1968) based on autopsy from an "athletic" subject and demonstrating
larger but also 30% more fibers than normal in biceps brachii, do not contradict
any of these hypotheses.
The stimuli for fiber splitting are not known, and its occurrence has in fact
been questioned (Gollnick et al. 1981). Interestingly, relatively small fibers have
also been demonstrated in muscular swimmers (Green et al. 1979; Nygaard and
Nielsen 1978). Thus, very intense training consisting of repeated contractions
with high tension output might possibly cause longitudinal fiber division
(Edgerton 1970; Gonyea 1980, 1981).
In addition to the normal fiber areas observed in bodybuilders, no selective
FT hypertrophy was shown as opposed to the pattern previously observed
(Edstr6m and Ekblom 1972; Gollnick et al. 1972; Prince et al. 1976) for
power/weight lifters, and also confirmed in the present study.
Muscle Hypertrophy in Bodybuilders 305

The lack of FT hypertrophy also illustrates that muscle cells adapt differently
depending on the intensity and magnitude of exercise. Bodybuilding training
involves intense, repetitive contractions. Normally, a certain muscle group is
exercised separately by 6-12 contractions until concentric contraction failure.
Interspersed with short recovery periods, three sets or more are often repeated.
This exercise is usually followed by or combined with additional exercises which
activate the same muscle group. Accordingly, as many as 20 consecutive sets
stressing a certain muscle may be executed within 30 min. Thus the type of
exercise described is distinctly different from the typical training (low repetition
system) that competitive weight- and power lifters rely upon. Again without
evidence, it is nonetheless tempting to speculate on the occurrence of muscle
fiber splitting in bodybuilders as a response to the highly specific type of training.
Moreover, all muscle samples examined exhibited a preponderance of ST fibers.
Mean values for percentage of FT fibers in m. vastus lateralis and m. deltoideus
were considerably lower than even the reference group, comprising physical
education studets. According to other reports (Gollnick et al. 1972; Thor-
stensson et al. 1977; Tesch et al. 1982) fiber type distribution pattern in the
present bodybuilders tends to resemble the muscle structural p r o n e of
endurance athletes. The bodybuilders did in fact exhibit relatively high muscular
endurance (Tesch, pets. observ.), which is consistent with the observed low
percentage of high glycolytic, fatiguable FTb fibers. It can therefore be
speculated that competitive bodybuilding training is characterized by demands
on not only strength but muscular endurance as well, which in turn is favored by
a high percentage of ST fibers (cf. Tesch 1980). Whether or not this is indicative
of a selective process or due to exercise stress can only be speculated
upon.
In summary, the great limb circumferences and muscle mass of bodybuilders
was not found to result from enlarged individual muscle fibers. Within the
limitation of the small subject sample and even though our data are not
conclusive as regards the controversial question of whether overload induced
hyperplasia is possible, we have noticed highly trained enlarged muscles in the
absence of a corresponding individual fiber hypertrophy.

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Accepted April 22, 1982

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