The Role of Resistance Exercise Intensity on Muscle Fibre Adaptations

Overview

Journal Sports Med

Specialty Orthopedics

Date 2004 Sep 1

PMID 15335243

Citations 171

Authors

Andrew C Fry

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Although many training variables contribute to the performance, cellular and molecular adaptations to resistance exercise, relative intensity (% 1 repetition maximum [%1RM]) appears to be an important factor. This review summarises and analyses data from numerous resistance exercise training studies that have monitored percentage fibre type, fibre type cross-sectional areas, percentage cross-sectional areas, and myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoform expression. In general, relative intensity appears to account for 18-35% of the variance for the hypertrophy response to resistance exercise. On the other hand, fibre type and MHC transitions were not related to the relative intensity used for training. When competitive lifters were compared, those typically utilising the heaviest loads (> or =90% 1RM), that is weightlifters and powerlifters, exhibited a preferential hypertrophy of type II fibres when compared with body builders who appear to equally hypertrophy both type I and type II fibres. These data suggest that maximal hypertrophy occurs with loads from 80-95% 1RM.

Citing Articles

Are Perceived Effort Scales (OMNI-RES) Appropriate for Defining and Controlling Strength Training Intensity?.

Mate-Munoz J, Maicas-Perez L, Aparicio-Garcia I, Hernandez-Lougedo J, De Sousa-De Sousa L, Hontoria-Galan M Sports (Basel). 2025; 13(2).

PMID: 39997988 PMC: 11860584. DOI: 10.3390/sports13020057.

Effects of Step Length and Stride Variation During Forward Lunges on Lower-Extremity Muscle Activity.

Escamilla R, Thompson I, Asuncion R, Bravo J, Chang T, Fournier T J Funct Morphol Kinesiol. 2025; 10(1).

PMID: 39982282 PMC: 11843896. DOI: 10.3390/jfmk10010042.

Exercise with weight vest plus chicken protein supplementation delayed muscle and bone loss in older female adults.

Nithisup P, Manimmanakorn A, Hamlin M, Maneesai P, Manimmanakorn N, Khaengkhan C Phys Act Nutr. 2025; 28(4):15-23.

PMID: 39934626 PMC: 11811617. DOI: 10.20463/pan.2024.0028.

Impact of Resistance Exercise and Nitrate Supplementation on Muscle Function and Clinical Outcomes After Knee Osteoarthritis Surgery in Middle-Aged Women with Sarcopenia: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial.

Park H, Yoon J, Oh J J Clin Med. 2025; 14(2).

PMID: 39860619 PMC: 11765574. DOI: 10.3390/jcm14020615.

Nutritional Interventions to Attenuate Quadriceps Muscle Deficits following Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury and Reconstruction.

Smith M, Hoffman N, Jose A, Burke L, Opar D Sports Med. 2025; .

PMID: 39853659 DOI: 10.1007/s40279-025-02174-w.

References

Staron R, LEONARDI M, Karapondo D, Malicky E, Falkel J, Hagerman F . Strength and skeletal muscle adaptations in heavy-resistance-trained women after detraining and retraining. J Appl Physiol (1985). 1991; 70(2):631-40. DOI: 10.1152/jappl.1991.70.2.631. View

Hather B, Tesch P, Buchanan P, Dudley G . Influence of eccentric actions on skeletal muscle adaptations to resistance training. Acta Physiol Scand. 1991; 143(2):177-85. DOI: 10.1111/j.1748-1716.1991.tb09219.x. View

Thomason D . Translational control of gene expression in muscle. Exerc Sport Sci Rev. 1998; 26:165-90. View

Hakkinen K, Pakarinen A . Acute hormonal responses to two different fatiguing heavy-resistance protocols in male athletes. J Appl Physiol (1985). 1993; 74(2):882-7. DOI: 10.1152/jappl.1993.74.2.882. View

Hakkinen K, Pakarinen A, Kyrolainen H, Cheng S, Kim D, Komi P . Neuromuscular adaptations and serum hormones in females during prolonged power training. Int J Sports Med. 1990; 11(2):91-8. DOI: 10.1055/s-2007-1024769. View

Staron R . Human skeletal muscle fiber types: delineation, development, and distribution. Can J Appl Physiol. 1997; 22(4):307-27. DOI: 10.1139/h97-020. View

Hikida R, Staron R, Hagerman F, Walsh S, Kaiser E, Shell S . Effects of high-intensity resistance training on untrained older men. II. Muscle fiber characteristics and nucleo-cytoplasmic relationships. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2000; 55(7):B347-54. DOI: 10.1093/gerona/55.7.b347. View

Tesch P, Larsson L . Muscle hypertrophy in bodybuilders. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol. 1982; 49(3):301-6. DOI: 10.1007/BF00441291. View

KARVONEN M, Kentala E, Mustala O . The effects of training on heart rate; a longitudinal study. Ann Med Exp Biol Fenn. 1957; 35(3):307-15. View

10.

Thorstensson A, Hulten B, VON DOBELN W, Karlsson J . Effect of strength training on enzyme activities and fibre characteristics in human skeletal muscle. Acta Physiol Scand. 1976; 96(3):392-8. DOI: 10.1111/j.1748-1716.1976.tb10207.x. View

11.

Campos G, Luecke T, Wendeln H, Toma K, Hagerman F, Murray T . Muscular adaptations in response to three different resistance-training regimens: specificity of repetition maximum training zones. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2002; 88(1-2):50-60. DOI: 10.1007/s00421-002-0681-6. View

12.

Bottinelli R, Betto R, Schiaffino S, Reggiani C . Unloaded shortening velocity and myosin heavy chain and alkali light chain isoform composition in rat skeletal muscle fibres. J Physiol. 1994; 478 ( Pt 2):341-9. PMC: 1155690. DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.1994.sp020254. View

13.

Alway S, Grumbt W, Gonyea W, Stray-Gundersen J . Contrasts in muscle and myofibers of elite male and female bodybuilders. J Appl Physiol (1985). 1989; 67(1):24-31. DOI: 10.1152/jappl.1989.67.1.24. View

14.

Bell G, Wenger H . Physiological adaptations to velocity-controlled resistance training. Sports Med. 1992; 13(4):234-44. DOI: 10.2165/00007256-199213040-00002. View

15.

Adams G . Role of insulin-like growth factor-I in the regulation of skeletal muscle adaptation to increased loading. Exerc Sport Sci Rev. 1998; 26:31-60. View

16.

MacDougall J, Sale D, Moroz J, Elder G, Sutton J, Howald H . Mitochondrial volume density in human skeletal muscle following heavy resistance training. Med Sci Sports. 1979; 11(2):164-6. View

17.

Harber M, Fry A, Rubin M, Smith J, Weiss L . Skeletal muscle and hormonal adaptations to circuit weight training in untrained men. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2004; 14(3):176-85. DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0838.2003.371.x. View

18.

Adams G, Hather B, Baldwin K, Dudley G . Skeletal muscle myosin heavy chain composition and resistance training. J Appl Physiol (1985). 1993; 74(2):911-5. DOI: 10.1152/jappl.1993.74.2.911. View

19.

Prince F, Hikida R, Hagerman F . Human muscle fiber types in power lifters, distance runners and untrained subjects. Pflugers Arch. 1976; 363(1):19-26. DOI: 10.1007/BF00587397. View

20.

Jansson E, Esbjornsson M, Holm I, Jacobs I . Increase in the proportion of fast-twitch muscle fibres by sprint training in males. Acta Physiol Scand. 1990; 140(3):359-63. DOI: 10.1111/j.1748-1716.1990.tb09010.x. View