In case your aim is to PR a marathon, climb a mountain, or crush your coworkers within the annual workplace plank competitors, you’ll want to perceive sort 1 muscle fibers and the right way to construct them.
Of the 2 major varieties of skeletal muscle fibers, sort 1 muscle fibers (a.ok.a. “slow-twitch” muscle fibers) are extra endurance-oriented and are essential to steady-state train, high-rep strength-training units, and isometric holds.
However earlier than we get into the specifics of the right way to goal sort 1 fibers in your exercises, let’s first take a more in-depth take a look at what they’re and the way they perform.
What Are Sort 1 Muscle Fibers?
In comparison with sort 2 (fast-twitch) muscle fibers, that are bigger and extra highly effective, sort 1 muscle fibers have lengthy contraction occasions (therefore their “slow-twitch” moniker). Because of this, they generate much less pressure, however they’re extra fatigue-resistant.
That’s why they’re your physique’s go-to fibers for longer-duration, steady-state actions like operating and biking, and for continuous-effort, higher-rep power exercises like circuit coaching.
The right way to Prepare Sort 1 Muscle Fibers
Each muscle incorporates each sort 1 and kind 2 muscle fibers, and everyone seems to be born with their very own distinctive ratio of them, says Breanne Celiberti, MS, former adjunct teacher within the Human Efficiency division on the College of Tampa. However with focused coaching, you’ll be able to favor and construct one fiber sort over the opposite.
To develop your sort 1 muscle fibers, concentrate on cardio and endurance-oriented actions and coaching modalities:
1. Regular-state coaching
Sustaining a gradual tempo for longer distances will hammer your sort 1 fibers (versus sprinting and interval coaching, which goal sort 2 fibers).
2. Resistance coaching
Weave lightweight, high-rep units into your routine to focus on your sort 1 fibers. Analysis additionally reveals that performing each lightweight/high-rep and heavy-weight/low-rep units can assist maximize hypertrophy (muscle constructing) by working each of the first muscle fiber varieties.
3. Circuit coaching
Again-to-back units of plyometric, body weight, and weightlifting workout routines will tax each your cardiorespiratory system and your muscle mass — particularly your sort 1 fibers.
What Do Sort 1 Muscle Fibers Look Like?
Sort 1 muscle fibers require extra oxygen to provide vitality than sort 2 muscle fibers, so they’re purple. Their counterparts, sort 2 muscle fibers, that are extra anaerobic (oxygen-independent), are white.
“Sort 1 fibers are additionally a bit smaller,” Celiberti says. “Upon shut examination, sort 1 muscle fibers have increased capillary density and oxidative capability, in addition to a smaller diameter than sort 2 fibers.”
