The mechanisms of muscle building with exercise science professor Jeremy Loenneke

Today we are doing a scientific deep-dive into the mechanisms of muscle building and how to optimize muscle building in the least amount of time. Joining us to share his knowledge on the topic is Dr. Jeremy Loenneke, who talks to us about what happens when a muscle is lifted, what triggers and blunts the muscle-building response, and how we can maximize muscle building. For him, rest and recovery between workouts are vital in building muscle, and he shares around the overemphasis on constant training in our contemporary fitness culture. We shift to talking about the latest developments in the blood flow restriction space and Dr. Loenneke explains the relationship between blood flow restriction and muscle gains. What emerges strongly from our conversation is the care that should be taken in scientific research, especially as it pertains to random error. Sometimes the muscle-building discrepancies that are observed among different people are not as clear-cut as research shows — there are variables and random noise that affect outcomes. Join us to also hear more about myokines, the role of cortisol and antioxidants in muscle gains, incorporating fast and slow-twitch training, genetic factors, and the exciting studies they are currently working on.

Remember to head over to blublox.com/muscleintelligence to claim your 15% discount from BLUblox by using the code “muscle”.

Timestamps

• The three mechanisms for stimulating hypertrophy and the relevance of each. [3:02]
• A brief description of what myokines entail. [5:54]
• Best dietary and environmental practices to avoid negating muscle-building responses. [7:29]
• The role of cortisol and antioxidants in blunting or contributing to muscle adaptation. [12:22]
• Differentiating between fast-twitch and slow-twitch muscle recruitment training. [13:48]
• Training to optimize intermediate fibers and transitioning from type 1 to type 2. [16:19] 
• The biggest mistakes people are making in their attempt to build muscle. [18:54]
• Thoughts on plateauing and accepting it as a natural consequence of training. [21:45]
• New developments in the blood flow restriction space and why it leads to muscle gain. [23:15]
• How genetics impacts muscle building and why there is a discrepancy among people. [27:31]
• The importance of considering random error in comparing muscle building. [29:59]
• Is it possible for us to improve satellite cell translation? And if so, how? [34:48]
• The potential problems that might occur if you fail to account for random error. [37:22]
• Testing whether there is a point where load becomes so low that blood restriction is required. [39:03]
• A study to discover whether people can be conditioned to recognize the right amount of pressure on the body. [43:55]