Blood Overcirculation Hypothesis

[Evidence]

The mechanisms involved in muscle protein synthesis, including the initial stimuli triggering the increased synthesis of contractile proteins, have not been well established at this time. It is obvious that older theories will have to be reworked into newer concepts as more direct evidence accumulates that sheds new light into their efficacy or further alienates them from the facts. A few hypotheses that were popular among coaches 30 to 40 years ago are now completely disregarded, including the following:

*The blood overcirculation hypothesis suggests that increased blood circulation in working muscles is the triggering stimulus for muscle growth. One of the most popular methods of bodybuilding training, called flushing, is based on this assumption. It has been shown, however, that active muscle hypermization (i.e., the increase in quantity of blood flowing through a muscle) caused by physical therapeutical means does not, in itself, lead to the activation of protein synthesis. While blood flow to the exercising muscle is important for delivery of essential nutrients and hormones, its effects are related to the activation of maximal number of the motor units in the muscle.


Zatsiorsky, Vladimir M and Kraemer,William J (2006) Science and Practice of Strength Training(51). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

[JoeD]

First, Science and practice of strength training is one of the best training books ive ever read.

That's a great point that he makes, great for restoration and the delivery of nutrients, but the blood over circulation isnt quite correct... same is the muscle hypoxia theory that some body builders have.

[BiggT]

So many people buy into flushing the muscle with blood causes growth thing. I guess it is because (1) you get a "pump" when you do it and (2) it is spread all over gyms and the BB community.

I think also in BB, guys who get big results from doing that are on a boatload of drugs and ancillaries, which enhance the stimulus to training, even total shit training.

But, it really doesn't work (unless kind of by accident where you do increase the stimulus at regular intervals causing the body to adapt regardless of the pump-fest mentality). If it worked by just going to the gym and trying to get sore on random exercises, all of the under armour-wearing, backwards visor-sporting frat boys at the gym would have 20" gunz on their 160lb geek bodies from all the flushing and pumping they do on arm day and nobody would post "critique my routine" threads on discussion boards (because they wouldn't feel the need for critique). If that came out right, lol. Basically I was trying to say stimulus and the body adapting to it over time gives results. I feel that way because in practice, people who just train to get pumped and sore rather than to progressively add stimulus never get any results unless they are walking around with the test levels of 20 men.

I buy the nutrient stuff as far as the flushing theory goes. You see it in practice with rehab, etc.



Do you think Zatsiorsky is still interested in being a strength coach? If he stays at PSU, it'll have to be after Paterno retires.

[JoeD]

Do you think Zatsiorsky is still interested in being a strength coach? If he stays at PSU, it'll have to be after Paterno retires.

Maybe, I hope so because PSU's S & C program is fucking retarded! marco rivera said he was EMBARRASSED at his combine showing years ago. I know players who won't even train there it's so bad. From what I understand they're still doing that god awful mike menzter "HIT" crap! Not sure if has changed recently, but i doubt it. I know two years ago tamba hali got something like 225 11 reps at bw 270 lolol!

i agree w/ ur post btw

[Evidence]

Yeah me and you got into that discussion before BiggT. It breaks my heart knowing they don't let him work with the athletes at PSU. I guess all that he has accomplished it really doesn't matter to him to work with athletes or not. I would think he would though, i mean it would only make sense. Nothing makes sense of his situation how an old racist fart like paterno can turn that school against him and not let him work with the athletic community becasue of where he came from.

Same thing with Ivan Abajiev from Bulgaria. He came to San Francisco and people were saying that he was too hard and demanded too much so no one wants anything to do with him over there. Real shame. I would just be honored one day to just shake their hand, let alone work with them.

[JoeD]

Yeah me and you got into that discussion before BiggT. It breaks my heart knowing they don't let him work with the athletes at PSU. I guess all that he has accomplished it really doesn't matter to him to work with athletes or not. I would think he would though, i mean it would only make sense. Nothing makes sense of his situation how an old racist fart like paterno can turn that school against him and not let him work with the athletic community becasue of where he came from.

Same thing with Ivan Abajiev from Bulgaria. He came to San Francisco and people were saying that he was too hard and demanded too much so no one wants anything to do with him over there. Real shame. I would just be honored one day to just shake their hand, let alone work with them.

It really is pathetic. The politics at that level must be out of this world. You know what's funny is that HIT isn't really high intensity by definition.. It's actually LOW intensity... I mean shit, if youre going to do it at least call it the right damn thing