How different weight training affects muscle growth in men and women
Myofiber hypertrophy adaptations following 6-weeks of low load resistance training with blood flow restriction in untrained males and females.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Women had 24.3% increase in type II fibers vs. 11.6% in men with heavy lifting, despite men's larger baseline size.
Contradicts the notion that men always gain muscle faster and highlights women's superior relative hypertrophy.
Practical Takeaways
Women should prioritize heavy lifting for maximal muscle fiber growth, while men might try BFR for moderate benefits.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Women had 24.3% increase in type II fibers vs. 11.6% in men with heavy lifting, despite men's larger baseline size.
Contradicts the notion that men always gain muscle faster and highlights women's superior relative hypertrophy.
Practical Takeaways
Women should prioritize heavy lifting for maximal muscle fiber growth, while men might try BFR for moderate benefits.
Publication
Journal
Journal of applied physiology
Year
2023
Authors
Tanner M. Reece, Joshua S Godwin, M. Strube, Anthony B. Ciccone, Kevan W. Stout, Jeremy R. Pearson, B. Vopat, P. Gallagher, M. Roberts, T. Herda
Related Content
Claims (5)
Lifting heavy weights three times a week for six weeks makes fast-twitch muscle fibers grow bigger by about 12% in people who don't usually exercise, showing it especially targets these powerful muscles.
Lifting heavy weights and doing lighter exercises with restricted blood flow both make your muscles grow bigger about the same amount, even though they work in slightly different ways inside the muscle.
Men naturally have bigger fast-twitch muscle fibers than women, even if neither exercise, showing a clear biological difference between sexes.
When men do light weightlifting with restricted blood flow, their muscles grow a decent amount, but women's muscles barely grow from the same workout, showing it works differently for each sex.
When scientists check muscle growth from exercise, taking tiny muscle samples doesn't match up well with other methods like ultrasound scans or strength tests, so using just the sample data isn't a great way to measure progress.