As memories are nothing more than the translation of our ability to acquire, store and retrieve information. But what if we said that the brain is not the only one with this function? Other parts of the body, like muscles, also seem to have their own “memories”, you know?
But calm down, It's not the way you're thinking. This is a phenomenon in which the muscles of those who already practice bodybuilding, for example, gain strength at a much greater speed after a period without training than those of a person who entered the gym for the first time in their life.
“When we talk about hypertrophy, the muscles are slightly damaged, allowing muscle growth. In this process, even if the person remains inactive for a while, the nucleus of the cells accelerates the recovery of muscle growth”, he explains. Jose Corbinipersonal and partner of the Personal Virtual integrative health app.
It is important to highlight that this muscle memory is capable of remaining in our cells for long periods, and not just in a few weeks between the holidays. This is why many athletes suffer serious injuries and are able to recover more quickly, depending on the severity.
“In short, the more you train, the more muscle memory you build, what is not yet known is whether this memory is permanent. It's worth remembering that the time it takes for you to get back into shape before stopping training depends on how you were before, your age, gender and how long you've exercised throughout your life”, adds the professional.
How to get back to training after a break for a while?
Returning to activities is the only way to find out how much muscle memory you havebut you can't be too careful at this time, according to the professional.
“It is important to remember that the return must be gradual, there is no point in wanting to pick up the same weights and continue with the same intensity as beforethis should happen little by little”, explains the personal trainer. “The monitoring of a physical education professional is essential to avoid injuries and other problems”, he concludes.
