Muscle Memory Steroids and Creatine Search Skip to content Menu Menu follow us Store Articles Community Loyal-T Club Loyal-T Points Rewards Subscribe to Save Search Search The World s Trusted Source & Community for Elite Fitness EatingSupplements Muscle Memory Steroids and Creatine Supplement Research Update by Tim Ziegenfuss, PhD December 7, 2010April 5, 2021 Tags Bodybuilding, Building Muscle, Creatine, Nutrition & Supplements Muscle tissue adapts to the stresses imposed on it, both structurally and functionally. When a muscle undergoes atrophy (shrinks from disuse), fewer nuclei are available to regulate muscle proteins. In contrast, when a muscle undergoes hypertrophy there's an increase in the amount of DNA available to the muscle fibers. Resistance training can increase this "myonuclear domain" to various degrees. Not surprisingly, androgens have been shown to increase the number of nuclei in muscle cells above and beyond that seen from resistance training alone, and researchers from the University of Oslo in Norway recently reported that these nuclei aren't lost when training ceases. In other words, athletes that have used anabolic steroids may have an increased form of "muscle memory" that gives them an advantage for far longer than previously thought. Setting sticky ethical issues aside for a moment, this got me thinking: What legal ways are there to increase the myonuclear domain Creatine, for example, has been shown to increase satellite cell proliferation and increase muscle fiber number. But how does creatine do this from a mechanistic standpoint? No one really knows (yet), but if it's due to alterations in energy flux (by affecting the ATP/PCr and glycolytic pathways), then it's just possible that another well known, but sparsely used (at least by strength and physique athletes) supplement might do the same thing. It's admittedly preliminary, but human data already exist that suggest coQ10 can preserve type II (fast twitch) fibers during aging. And guess what helps preserve the myonuclear domain with aging? Type II fibers! To steal a partial quote from Dodgeball,"I'm just spitballing here" but there's a reason creatine and coQ10 are a daily part of my supplement regimen. Source Muscles remember past glory Extra nuclei produced by training survive disuse Tina Hesman Saey Science News. 2010 Sep 11; Vol.178 #6 (pg 15) Get The T Nation Newsletters Don' t Miss Out Expert Insights To Get Stronger, Gain Muscle Faster, And Take Your Lifting To The Next Level related posts Diet & Fat Loss The Secret Cause of Food Intolerances You know that food allergy that causes you bloating, headaches, or lethargy? It's probably your fault, not the food's fault. Here's why. Diet Strategy, Feeding the Ideal Body, Nutrition & Supplements Mike Dahlinghaus, PhD November 22 Eating Tip Get Enough Iodine for Thyroid Health A mild deficiency can make it harder for you to stay lean. Here's where to get it and how much you need. Feeding the Ideal Body, Nutrition & Supplements, Tips Bill Roberts April 9 Diet & Fat Loss The Truth About Pre-Bed Protein Should you consume protein right before bed for more muscle growth? Or will it make you fat? Here's what the science says. Dietary Myth Busting, Feeding the Ideal Body, Nutrition & Supplements, Protein, Workout Nutrition Tip Mike T Nelson, PhD June 28 Diet & Fat Loss Tip The Single Most Effective Fat Loss Strategy Take 100 people and put them on a diet. Who will be most successful? The people who do this. Diet Strategy, Losing Fat, Nutrition & Supplements, Tips Chris Shugart March 17