Understanding Muscle Damage, Repair, and Hypertrophy

During exercise, muscle damage occurs and muscle protein synthesis works to repair and replace damaged muscle fibers. This process eventually leads to hypertrophy, which is the growth of muscle tissue. However, hypertrophy can also be achieved without experiencing muscle damage. The key factor for hypertrophy is mechanical tension, which is produced when there is a high degree of motor unit recruitment and a slowing of contraction velocity. This tension is detected by the muscle fibers and triggers the biological process for adding more muscle tissue and increasing force production.