Muscle Memory Is Retained at the Protein Level, Study Finds

A Finnish study shows that muscles remember resistance training for more than two months after a person stops exercising. 

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There’s no need to stress about losing hard-earned exercise gains. For the first time, science has validated the concept of “muscle memory.”

The study, conducted in Finland and recently published in The Journal of Physiology, found that the positive changes from resistance training could persist in muscle proteins for more than two months after ceasing workouts, suggesting that the body retains some benefits even when training stops.

Muscle Benefits Lasted 2 Months Post-Exercise

Muscle memory is the body’s ability to regain lost strength and muscle mass after a period of inactivity—and to do so in less time than it took to build the strength in the first place. Muscle memory helps people bounce back from breaks in training to quickly return to their former fitness levels.