Myonuclear addition is associated with sex-specific fiber hypertrophy and occurs in relation to fiber perimeter not cross-sectional area

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It is unclear whether resistance training-induced myofiber hypertrophy is affected by sex, and whether myonuclear addition occurs in relation to the myonuclear domain and can contribute to explaining a potential sex-specific hypertrophic response. This study investigated the effect of 8 weeks of resistance training on myofiber hypertrophy and myonuclear addition in 12 males (28±7 years; mean±SD) and 12 females (27±7 years). Muscle biopsies were collected from m. vastus lateralis before and after the training intervention and analyzed by immunohistochemistry for fiber type and size, satellite cells, and myonuclei. Hypertrophy of type I fibers was greater in males than females (< 0.05), whereas hypertrophy of type II fibers was similar between sexes (= 0.158‒0.419). Expansion of the satellite cell pool (= 0.132‒0.667) and myonuclear addition (P=0.064‒0.228) did not differ significantly between sexes, irrespective of myofiber type. However, when individual responses to resistance training were assessed, myonuclear addition was strongly correlated with fiber hypertrophy (= 0.68‒0.85, < 0.001). While myofiber hypertrophy was accompanied by an increase in myonuclear domain (< 0.05), fiber perimeter per myonucleus remained constant throughout the study (= 0.096‒0.666). These findings indicate that myonuclear addition occurs in relation to the fiber perimeter per myonucleus, not the myonuclear domain, and has a substantial role in muscle hypertrophy, but does not fully explain greater hypertrophy of type I fibers in males than females.
Original languageEnglish
JournalJournal of Applied Physiology
Volume133
Issue number3
Pages (from-to)732-741
Number of pages10
ISSN8750-7587
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2022

    Research areas

  • Faculty of Science - Myonuclear addition, Fiber hypertrophy, Sex, Resistance training, Myonuclear domain

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