When it comes to gaining strength, the frequency of exercise is more significant than the intensity.
Spreading out activities across a week, as opposed to cramming them into a single day, results in greater gains in muscle strength, according to a study.
Two groups performed the same number of bicep curls with the heaviest weights possible, one over the course of five days and the other in a single day.
In four weeks, the muscle strength of those who engaged in weight training more frequently increased by almost 10%.
In contrast to the once-a-week group, whose strength did not rise, their muscle thickness rose by a third more.
Professor Ken Nosaka, director of fitness and sport science at Edith Cowan University in Perth, Australia, stated: ‘Contrary to popular belief, a lengthy weight training session in the gym is not necessary.
It is sufficient to descend a heavy dumbbell slowly once to six times per day.
The researchers recruited 36 students in their early twenties from Japan’s Niigata University.
The participants were divided into three groups and instructed to execute “maximal voluntary eccentric bicep contractions” with their favored arm.
The arm resistance exercise comprised of bicep curls using the biggest dumbbell possible.
They performed the exercise while strapped to a special chair that measured the strength of each muscle used.
One group completed six contractions per day, five days per week, whereas the second conducted 30 repetitions once per week, and the third performed six contractions once per week.
Four weeks later, changes in muscle strength and thickness were assessed and compared.
Those who performed 30 repetitions per day saw no change in muscle strength, but their muscle thickness grew by 5.8%.
Those who performed six contractions once per week saw no changes in muscle size or thickness.
But those who spread out their activity observed a 10% increase in muscle strength and a 4.4% increase in muscle size.
The long-standing dispute has surrounded the optimal training method for those seeking to gain strength versus those seeking to gain muscular mass.
Researchers do not yet understand why resistance training in tiny doses is more effective than infrequent training.
It may have something to do with the frequency with which the brain commands a muscle to undertake an exercise, they suggested.
Increases in muscle strength during the initial period of resistance training are associated with enhanced coordination while repeating motions.
The team indicates that those who exercise less regularly may not do the exercise as well.
Professor Nosaka stated that while the participants utilized the highest weights possible in the trial, other research indicates that people can become comparably strong without exerting as much effort.
He continued, “In our study, we only employed the bicep curl exercise, but we assume this would also be true for other muscles, at least to some extent.”
The importance of muscle strength to our health. This could prevent the age-related loss of muscle mass and strength.
Many chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, some malignancies, dementia, and musculoskeletal disorders such as osteoporosis, are caused by a loss in muscle mass.
Current national exercise guidelines in the United Kingdom, United States, and Australia specify the number of minutes per week that people should exercise. The recommended weekly exercise time for Britons and Americans is 150 minutes, while the recommended weekly exercise time for Australians is between 150 and 300 minutes.
The researchers advocated a greater emphasis on daily activity.
Professor Nosaka stated, “If you’re only going to the gym once a week, it’s not as effective as exercising at home every day.
This research, along with our earlier study, implies that collecting a small quantity of activity each week is preferable to exercising for several hours once a week.
Every muscle contraction counts, and the frequency with which they are performed is what matters.
However, the team stressed the significance of rest days, as this is when muscle modifications occur.
Professor Nosaka stated, “If a person were able to train 24 hours every day, there would be no improvement.”
Muscles require rest to increase their strength and mass, but they tend to prefer more frequent stimulation.
And if someone was unable to exercise for days or weeks owing to illness, there is “no point” in attempting to “make up” for it with additional sessions.
Japanese researchers from Nishi Kyushu University also contributed to the study.
