What determines the strength of muscles?

Most people know that the amount of muscle is not the only indicator of their strength. In order to make sure of this, it is enough to recall the physique of the great Bruce Lee and what he was capable of. Of course, in the martial arts, apart from strength, technology and skill play an important role. In fact, it happens that two people with different muscle volumes equally well show themselves in weightlifting disciplines. And sometimes, and at all, one who is much smaller in volume, squeezes more weight. Probably, it is for this reason that not all men are fond of pumping muscles. Today we learn from what, besides volume, the strength of muscles depends.

Scope

The more muscle, the more it is hypertrophied. There are two types of muscle hypertrophy: myofibrillar and sarcoplasmic. When the muscle fiber increases in volume, there is mainly a second kind. The increase occurs due to muscle saturation with sarcoplasm. Such hypertrophy alone does not increase strength. But, fortunately, athletes, in its pure form, it does not occur. Therefore, even with an increase in volume, myofibrillar hypertrophy, which increases strength, is connected to some extent. So even those who work exclusively on the masses, the strength is also growing.

Innervation

The strength of the muscles also depends to a certain extent on innervation. It is expressed by the supply of muscles with motor neurons. As you know, muscle tissue is contracted by the brain signal. To the fibers of the muscles he goes on motoneurons - motor nerves. The more muscles of neural connections, the more it uses motor units and the more complicated work can do. At athletes-beginners usually recruited no more than 80% of muscle fibers. Professionals this indicator reaches 100%. To affect the innervation, you just need to exercise regularly. After some time, under the influence of constant loads, motoneurons will tightly weave your muscles.

Thickness of tendons

From this factor, the strength and endurance of the muscles depends to a large extent. The human body is arranged in such a way that if it comes across a weak spot when developing any physical parameters, it stops this development, regardless of our efforts. In this case, it is meant that the muscle can not become more resistant to strain than the tendon. When the muscle contracts more than it can, the tendon simply breaks off from the bone. Therefore, the organism, being a perfect system, restrains the growth of muscle strength, if it approaches the ultimate strength of the tendon. Unfortunately, this factor can only be partially affected. The thickness of the tendons is mainly laid down in childhood, at the genetic level. The adult person with the help of regular trainings can slightly increase endurance of tendons, but it is insignificant.

Ratio of fibers

Many probably know that in the human body there are fast and slow muscle fibers. They are also called white and red, respectively. Of course, the difference between them is very arbitrary. Red fibers contain more mitochondria and are better supplied with blood, so they do not force the muscles, but their endurance.

White fibers, in turn, are more suitable for short-term explosive work, in which force is needed. What muscles perform tasks - they have such fibers. For example, the shin is famous for its endurance, and the pectoral muscle is known for its strength. As the body ages, the percentage of slow fibers increases, and the fast decreases. This happens by transforming one species into another. This factor can not be affected. The ratio of fibers is laid genetically. Therefore, one person from birth is better given aerobic load, and the other - the power. All that a person can do in this case is to pick up exercises that better develop this or that kind of muscle fibers. But the difference, as you understand, is very arbitrary.

Flexibility of muscles

As you know, all the muscles in our body work at the expense of contractions and stretching. The greater the difference between these two states, the greater the strength of the muscles. Roughly speaking, the same principle works here as in a rubber harness. The stronger it is stretched, the greater the compression force. From the elasticity of the muscles depends their ability to stretch, and consequently, the force of contraction. This is not even a physiological feature, but a biomechanical one. Luckily athletes, this factor can be affected. To the muscles were elastic, you just need to regularly and competently stretch.

Arrangement of tendons

In order to understand how this factor affects the strength of the muscle, we will analyze it in detail using the example of the biceps. Physiologically, the hand is arranged in such a way that there is always a gap from the attachment point of the biceps to the elbow joint. Its length is different for each person. How does this affect muscle strength? The law of the lever works here. The closer the point of application of the force (the attachment point of the tendon) to the axis of rotation (elbow joint), the more the arm needs to be used for flexion. Roughly speaking, if you move the tendon a couple of centimeters toward the brush, the strength of the muscles in your arms will increase significantly. Of course, this is possible only in theory. The same law of leverage applies to virtually all muscle groups that a person has. The strength of the muscles in this case is given to us from birth. The location of the tendon can not be affected in any way. At different people it differs literally on pair millimeters. It seems that this is a minor difference, but it plays quite a significant role in the formation of power.

Amount of muscle fibers

What is the strength of the rope? Of course, in a huge number of thin strings. The same can be said about our muscular tissues. The muscles may be the same in volume, but consist of a different number of fibers. This characteristic is laid genetically and does not change throughout life. However, research scientists have shown that when the body affects growth hormone, muscle fibers can be divided. But this topic has not been thoroughly studied so far to give encouraging comments. And besides, we are interested in the natural strength of muscles, without the intervention of any drugs. A large number of fibers contributes to an increase in innervation, so it has a favorable effect on strength. The one with more muscle fibers can show more strength than the one whose muscles are bigger.

Psychoemotional factor

Sometimes our strengths depend not on the abilities of the organism, but on the level of motivation. There have been many cases in history when, in the face of a threat to life, a person showed phenomenal power. For example, after falling from the balcony, the man grabbed the pipe and hung in his hands until rescuers arrived. Then he tried to repeat this achievement on the crossbar, but could not even hang 10% of that time.

Muscles contract with the force with which the nervous system sends signals from the brain. In an emergency situation, the signal is so large that the body uses all the energy resources to accomplish this task. Perhaps, that is why sportsmen-siloviki beat themselves with their fists in the chest before they enter the arena and shout.

The volitional qualities of the individual also play an important role here. Another example is a person who does not know how to swim, gets a drowning child from the raging sea, and a lifeguard with an ideal torso stands in confusion on the shore. Maybe it's not about the strength of the muscles, but the principle is the same. The one who is set for salvation will do this, even being a skinny, completely unsportsmanlike person.

Conclusion

Today we learned from what the strength and work of the muscles depends, and partially dispelled the view that the larger muscles are stronger. Why partially? Because the volume to some extent still increases the strength indicators. But if you compare the size of the muscles with the other seven factors, its place will be quite insignificant.

Surprisingly, these factors do play an important role. If we compare two men with the same physique, but different characteristics of the muscles (in one, all of the above indices are higher), then we will see the difference in force indicators. And it will not be calculated tens, but hundreds of percent.

Nevertheless, no self-respecting athlete in the event of failure will not refer to the physiological predisposition to low loads, and there are two reasons for this. First, 5 factors out of 8 can be influenced. That is, the development of muscle strength is indeed possible. To catch up with who is given the nature to lift big weights is real, but we will have to do a titanic work. Secondly, the most important role is played by the psychoemotional factor. A properly motivated person is capable of anything.