Exercise can reduce chronic inflammation, but the immediate effect of exercise is to increase inflammation in the muscles. The inflammation is what triggers the muscles to repair themselves and grow
While this is true, there’s still enough evidence pointing in that direction that it’s still the more accepted hypothesis over alternate ideas, as far as I know.
“There is a sound theoretical rationale supporting a potential role for EIMD in the hypertrophic response. Although it appears that muscle growth can occur in the relative absence of muscle damage, potential mechanisms exist whereby EIMD may enhance the accretion of muscle proteins including the release of inflammatory agents, activation of satellite cells, and upregulation of IGF-1 system, or at least set in motion the signaling pathways that lead to hypertrophy. Although research suggests that eccentric exercise has greater hypertophic effects compared with other types of actions, a cause-effect relationship directly linking these gains to EIMD is yet to be established.”
I thought exercise reduces inflammation. It can cause muscles to swell, but that’s different from inflammation.
Exercise can reduce chronic inflammation, but the immediate effect of exercise is to increase inflammation in the muscles. The inflammation is what triggers the muscles to repair themselves and grow
I recently read that there is no known causal relation between the injuries muscles get from workout and muscle growth.
While this is true, there’s still enough evidence pointing in that direction that it’s still the more accepted hypothesis over alternate ideas, as far as I know.
“There is a sound theoretical rationale supporting a potential role for EIMD in the hypertrophic response. Although it appears that muscle growth can occur in the relative absence of muscle damage, potential mechanisms exist whereby EIMD may enhance the accretion of muscle proteins including the release of inflammatory agents, activation of satellite cells, and upregulation of IGF-1 system, or at least set in motion the signaling pathways that lead to hypertrophy. Although research suggests that eccentric exercise has greater hypertophic effects compared with other types of actions, a cause-effect relationship directly linking these gains to EIMD is yet to be established.”
https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Fulltext/2012/05000/Does_Exercise_Induced_Muscle_Damage_Play_a_Role_in.37.aspx