Muscle memory? In fact, the muscle system has no memory and no learning structure!

Today I want to talk about muscle memory that everyone hears about every day.

Many times, the more you practice the training techniques, the more you will have muscle memory, but what exactly is this? In fact, the muscle system has no memory and no learning structure! It is the brain that remembers and learns. The process of repeatedly practicing movements for a long time and becoming automatic and conscious is called motor learning. To put it simply, when the brain becomes familiar with the neural pathways of movements, it produces so-called muscle memory.

You must know that muscle contraction is mainly caused by the discharge of the motor cortex in the brain and transmits messages to the muscles through the spinal cord. Motor neurons are responsible for transmitting messages to cause muscles to contract. The motor neuron and the muscle fibers it is responsible for stimulating together are called motor units.
The brain will adjust the neural drive based on proprioception, which will determine whether the muscle system needs to contract and how much force to use, which can also be called motor unit recruitment, and adjust how many motor units are needed to do it. To put it simply, everyone is very lazy. When you feel that the dumbbell is very light, you will use less motor unit, and when it is very heavy, you will use more motor unit.

It seems off topic. In fact, the so-called muscle memory is when the brain continuously learns to adjust the motor unit for muscle control and coordination when the action is repeated. Over time, the nerve pathways of this action will become very proficient, which also means that This movement of muscle contraction is so skillful, as if there is muscle memory.

The principles of motor unit recruitment can actually be applied to weight training, so you can think about it. Mastering physiological principles is absolutely vital to sports performance training.

author
Chun Wing
Master of Education in Sports and Athletics
M.Ed. in Athletic Performance
B.Soc.Sc. (Hons)
IAAF Lv1 | USATF Lv1 Athletics coach
HK Triple Jump Rank 1
HKG Athletics Coach