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Machine Learning Predicts How Much Exercise You Need
Data allows scientists to determine the optimal weight to improve muscle growth.
We all know that lifting weight at the gym builds muscle. But, how much do we really know? “Surprisingly, not very much is known about why or how exercise builds muscles: there’s a lot of anecdotal knowledge and acquired wisdom, but very little in the way of hard or proven data,” said Professor Eugene Terentjev from the University of Cambridge.
In a recent study published in the Biophysical Journal, Professor Eugene and colleagues suggest that there is an optimal weight at which each person should do resistance training for each muscle. This is because muscles can only get near their maximal load for a very short period. It is the load that, over time, triggers muscle growth. In another words, the load activates the cell to send a message that ultimately creates new muscle proteins. However, if the load is not enough to trigger cell signaling, then one would have to increase exponentially their exercise time to compensate. Also, individual differences in physiology might play a strong role here, as each person should have a their own critical load levels.
