Memory lane: How muscle memory works and why it matters

Unwanted illnesses or injuries force strength athletes to take breaks from training. Maybe you already had to pause your training for a certain period.

With continued inactivity, your muscles will slowly regress. But don't worry. With the help of muscle memory, you can quickly recover your hard-earned muscles. In this article, you'll learn about the muscle memory effect and how you can benefit from it.

What is muscle memory?

Muscle memory is the process by which a motor task is stored in memory through constant repetition (training).

Therefore, all the exercises you do during your training sessions are recorded in muscle memory. This applies to the movement sequence and the loads (training intensity).

Your muscles are connected to your central nervous system via neurons. This transmits signals to the brain. All information and impulses generated during strength training are thus transmitted to your brain:

• Muscle activation
• Movement sequence (technique)
• Intensity of the exercises
• Maximum strength and load limit

The more often you train and perform your exercises, the faster your brain develops the appropriate motor patterns. You can think of it as a learning process. In principle, you acquire knowledge, which is then called up.

For example, if you learn a new language and repeat the vocabulary regularly, your memory will remember it more easily. It is similar to movement patterns. The more frequently you perform a movement, the less brain power is required to implement it.

Thus, over time, you will find it easier to master a compound exercise like the Squat. As a result, you can train at a higher intensity. So the Muscle memory effect significantly impacts your performance and strength development.

Muscle memory becomes especially useful when you want to start training again after a long break. But how does muscle memory work to restore lost muscle mass?

Rebuild muscle - the muscle memory effect

If you don't do any strength training for a longer time, you have to expect a loss of muscle mass. The longer the training break, the greater the muscle loss.

To quickly get back to the old shape and restore the lost muscle mass, the muscle memory Effect proved to be extremely useful. Your body quickly remembers the stored motor skills.

The associated techniques, movement sequences, and load limits are remembered. Thus, you can effectively set stimuli to rebuild your muscles.

Depending on the break length, you'll reach your old form within weeks or a few months. The same applies to your strength performance as long as you train the same way you did before the break.

Furthermore, you must pay attention to your nutrition and your regeneration. You can use the muscle memory effect efficiently if these three factors are given.

Training and muscle memory effect

You still need to train in a disciplined and effective way. Your muscle growth will not be stimulated enough without sufficient load and intensive training sessions.

Nevertheless, you should get your body used to the load, especially in the first weeks of training. With the help of muscle memory, it will quickly remember your motor skills - but not immediately.

Nutrition and muscle memory effect

To get the most out of the muscle memory effect, you must eat as you did before. Without sufficient protein and a moderate caloric surplus, you will be unable to restore your lost muscle mass. Therefore, you should focus on your diet to make the most of the muscle memory effect.

Regeneration and muscle memory effect

You benefit from the muscle memory effect when you give your muscles time to recover. Repetition of hard exercises creates small micro-tears in the muscle tissue that trigger the healing process of your muscles.

The muscle tissue regenerates over time, causing the muscle fibers to expand. The muscle gains strength and endurance with increasing training intensity. Therefore, you must give your body enough rest to use the muscle memory effect efficiently.