The Countdown
Rhea R -
Hey Everyone!
As there remains one week before I teach my choreography, I’m still hammering out the final details. I’m also thinking that the dancers will complete the survey and post-evaluation of their skills over either text or email, since the recital is near and I do not wish to be consuming any more valuable class time. I checked back on the consent forms I passed out last week, and everyone opted in for the study so that’s fantastic!
I’ve also been continuing on with the research process, reading and annotating as I go. This week, I reviewed the source, “The Concept of Muscle Memory: Evidence from Animal and Human Studies”. It was quite extensive and dove into multiple theories concerning the relationship between myonuclear domain and muscle fibers, including the size of each when put through periods of training and rest. Myonuclei are the nuclei found in the middle of a long muscle fiber. One experiment stated that ‘muscle memory’ comes from the myonuclear number remaining in an elevated/trained state so that further exercise or movement will more efficiently strengthen muscle fibers. This has implications to performance-enhancing drug-users, since returning to sports after treatment even if a rest period is involved will elevate muscle growth. However, this can also be an advantage for humans who have trained vigorously at some point in their life, because revisiting exercise when they get older can become easier. This is due to the myonuclei being preserved during periods of muscular hypertrophy. These studies suggest that myonuclei are never lost, except when undergoing apoptosis. Others demonstrate that myonuclei are lost during long periods of rest but then are later regained, because aging shows a general decline in muscle fiber size. The myonuclear domain may also have to cross a certain threshold before new myonuclei are able to develop. Myonuclear content also seemed to decline during an experimental period of detraining. The source ends by stating further research is necessary to determine the real role myonuclei play in muscle reconditioning. Further information about this source will be contained in my final lit review.
Stay tuned!
- Rhea 🙂