Features of Different muscle fiber types

New body builders think that their bodies are designed with muscles made up of sinewy material, which is similar all over the body. Actually, muscles are made up of several different muscle fiber types and each one of these fibers acts differently to training. Of course, just looking at a human body from the outside can not help you in detecting the differences, but physicians and other healthcare professionals have a clear and significant knowledge about it. Mentioned below is a brief description about each significant muscle fiber type.

Type A Fast-twitch Muscle Fibers

The heavy work performed by the body is assisted by these fast-twitch muscle fibers. As a result, they exhaust way too easily than other muscle fibers. They consist of outsized motor neurons and an exceedingly low mitochondrial density. The use of oxygen is not very efficient in these muscle fibers, which is why the duration of their work is not too long. Muscle contractions basically depend on the amount of oxygen utilized. The source of energy in these muscle fibers is creatine phosphate and glucose. The length of time for each muscle contraction is twenty seconds, which does not let them use the stored body fat.

Type B Fast-twitch Muscle Fibers

Type B fast-twitch muscle fibers play a significant role during the activities of short duration. In the short but forceful bursts of speed, these muscle fibers are mostly used by the sprinters. Type B has been designed with large motor neurons that resemble the Type A fibers. Their level of getting tired is insignificant and their mitochondrial density is very high. The use of oxygen is very significant in these muscle fibers than the Type A muscle fibers and thus they contract on a significant level.

Slow-twitch Muscle Fibers

Slow-twitch muscle fibers are responsible for helping out during the prolonged activated or medium-to-low intensity activities. This type of muscle fibers is better in resisting to fatigue and in consuming oxygen efficiently. Unlike other types of muscle fibers, they are relatively slow in their contractions and are not efficient in producing significant amount of force. They have exceedingly high mitochondrial density. Numerous capillaries are responsible for the efficient utilization of oxygen by these muscle fibers.

Training the Different Muscle Fiber Types

Each of the different types of muscle fibers has to follow slightly different training rules.

Type B muscle training requires less force but should be stretched for long as compared to the Type A muscle training.

Type B muscle fibers demand longer exercise sessions with lighter routines for best results, unlike Type A. For instance, using a moderate pace perform about 30-40 intervals, repeating them ten times in a minute. In case of weight training, a suitable example is six to ten repetitions for utilizing the higher oxidation ability of these muscles. The growth of muscles requires extensive training, as they are specialized in enduring pressure already. Add to your already set routine of running, cycling or swimming by adding a mile, a few miles or extra leaps.

While reevaluating the training regimen, ensure addressing the differences of these muscle fibers and adjusting to them accordingly, for better results.