Hypertrophy training – How to train for muscle growth

What is hypertrophy training

Hypertrophy training is training with the aim of increasing the volume of the muscles. In humans, such an increase cannot be achieved by increasing the number of cells (hyperplasia), but only by increasing the size of the individual cells (hypertrophy).

What causes hypertrophy of the muscle?

Like other cells, muscle cells need an incentive to grow. This can be a growth messenger (for example testosterone) or increased stress. There are two ways in which muscle training leads to hypertrophy: on the one hand, more energy is consumed by high stress than can be supplied by the metabolism of the cell.

There is a lack of energy and an increase in metabolic products that are formed under stress, such as lactate. These substances trigger a signaling pathway that primarily expands the elements responsible for the supply of energy and enables the cell to burn more oxygen. This increases above all the endurance performance of the muscles, rather than maximum strength and muscle cross-section.

Direct mechanical stress plays a greater role in increasing the muscle cross-section. Muscle fibers are connected to each other by adhesive elements to prevent the muscle from tearing apart. If these adhesive elements are severely stressed or even injured (microtrauma), a signaling pathway is triggered that leads to increased protein production.

In this process, additional cells (satellite cells) in the vicinity of the muscle are also integrated into the muscle fibers to enable higher protein production. The principle of hypertrophy training is based on exploiting these mechanisms. First, a training stimulus is set that exceeds the load capacity of the muscles.

This leads to degeneration, i.e. injury to the muscles, followed by regeneration, in which the injured structures are repaired. The mechanical stimulus leads to supercompensation. In this phase, a training stimulus can restart the process.

Hypertrophy of the prostate

The prostate gland (prostate gland) of the man is a gland below the bladder that produces some of the sperm fluid. Not only the vas deferens run through the prostate gland, but also the initial part of the urethra. The prostate gland also lies in a tight capsule.

If the size of the organ increases, the urethra is compressed and urination becomes more difficult. The increase in size of the prostate occurs in almost all men at an advanced age. The cells of the prostate become both larger (hypertrophy) and more numerous (hyperplasia).

Usually, the increase in size of the prostate is referred to as benign prostate hyperplasia (benign means that the cells are not dangerous – in contrast to prostate cancer). Symptoms of prostate hypertrophy are delayed onset of urination, weakened urinary stream, residual urge to urinate and constant urge to urinate without being able to urinate properly. In advanced stages, incomplete emptying of the bladder occurs with a risk of inflammation and even later urinary retention in the kidneys, which can lead to kidney damage and kidney failure.

( ) Prostatic hypertrophy can be treated with two different groups of drugs. Alpha-receptor blockers such as tamsulosin relax the inner bladder sphincter and improve the symptoms. 5α reductase inhibitors such as finasteride prevent the hormone testosterone from being processed, thus weakening the growth stimulus that the hormone exerts on the prostate.

In advanced stages, the prostate can be reduced in size by the urethra, either mechanically or by laser. Another possible therapeutic procedure is the surgical removal of the prostate. Click here for the article Therapy of prostate enlargement.