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Cited by 205Muscle Physiology and DisordersSports Performance and TrainingMuscle metabolism and nutrition

Muscle ultrastructural characteristics of elite powerlifters and bodybuilders

MacDougall, J. D., Sale, D. G., Elder, G. C. B., Sutton, J. R.·1982·European Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology
DOI 10.1007/bf00421171
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Abstract

Muscle ultrastructure of a group of subjects possessing extreme hypertrophy was compared with that of a control group which had undergone 6 months of heavy resistance training. Two needle biopsies were taken from triceps brachii of two international calibre powerlifters and five elite bodybuilders. In addition, samples were taken from five healthy volunteers before and after 6 months of training of the elbow extensors. One biopsy was prepared for electron microscopy and analyzed stereologically, and the other was stained for myosin ATPase activity and photographed under the light microscope. Despite large differences in elbow extension strength and arm girth there was no significant difference in fibre areas or percentages of fibre types between the elite group and the trained controls. This suggests that the elite group possessed a greater total number of muscle fibres than the controls did. Mitochondrial volume density of the elite group was similar to that of the control group following training but significantly less (p less than 0.05) than the pretraining control measurements. Myofibrillar volume density was significantly lower and cytoplasmic volume density significantly higher in the elite group than in the trained controls. There was a considerably higher incidence of structural abnormalities including central nuclei and atrophied fibres in the elite group than in the control group, which might possibly have been associated with the use of anabolic steroids by the elite group.

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Crossref · 10.1007/bf00421171

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15 of 15 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • Resistance training does not alter or decreases mitochondrial volume as measured by citrate synthase activity assays or transmission electron microscopy.

    “Separate reports have also shown that resistance training does not alter or decreases mitochondrial volume (as measured by citrate synthase activity assays or transmission electron microscopy; Macdougall et al., 1982; Luthi et al., 1986; Tesch et al., 1987; Parise et al., 2005; Porter et al., 2015)”

    From Skeletal Muscle Ribosome and Mitochondrial Biogenesis in Response to Different Exercise Training Modalities (2021) · cites this paper as Macdougall et al., 1982

  • Resistance training elicits little or no change to the oxidative profile of trained muscles, nor major shifts in fuel utilisation patterns.

    “Such training, even when performed over several months or years, elicits little or no change to the oxidative profile of the trained muscles, nor major shifts in the patterns of fuel utilisation (MacDougall et al., 1982).”

    From Concurrent exercise training: do opposites distract? (2017) · cites this paper as MacDougall et al., 1982

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Related

Authors
MacDougall, J. D., Sale, D. G., Elder, G. C. B., & Sutton, J. R.
Affiliations
McMaster University (CA)
Venue
European Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
1982-02
Volume
48
Issue
1
Pages
117-126
ISSN
  • 0020-9376 (ISSN-L)
  • 0301-5548
  • 1439-6327
DOI
10.1007/bf00421171
OpenAlex
W2004792872
Cited by
205
References
15
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 2
FWCI
3.06
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
Locations
  • European Journal of Applied Physiology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Muscle Physiology and Disorders
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Orthopedics and Sports Medicine › Sports Performance and Training
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › Muscle metabolism and nutrition
Keywords
muscle ultrastructure, muscle hypertrophy, powerlifters, bodybuilders, resistance training, triceps brachii, elbow extensors, muscle fiber number, muscle fiber composition, mitochondrial volume density, central nuclei, anabolic steroids, myosin ATPase activity
MeSH terms
Adult, Cell Nucleus, Cytoplasm, Humans, Male, Mitochondria, Muscle, Muscles, Physical Education and Training, Sports, Weight Lifting

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