"In 2018, Sharples and his research lab, now at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences in Oslo, were the first to show that exercise could change how our muscle-building genes work over the long term. The genes themselves don't change, but repeated periods of exertion turns certain genes on, spurring cells to build muscle mass more quickly than before. These epigenetic changes have a lasting effect: Your muscles remember these periods of strength and respond favorably in the future."
"Do muscles have a similar memory for weakness? The answer appears to be yes. "Our new data shows that muscle does not just remember growth-it also remembers wasting," Sharples told me, of a study published in preprint on bioRxiv and currently in peer review for Advanced Science. "The more encounters you have with injury and illness, the more susceptible your muscle is to further atrophy. And, well-that's what aging is, isn't it?""
Exercise produces lasting epigenetic changes in muscle that do not alter DNA sequence but change gene activity to accelerate future muscle growth. Repeated periods of exertion turn certain genes on, priming cells to rebuild mass more quickly after training or injury. These changes appear across ages, training modes, and species, including humans and mice. New data indicate muscles also retain a memory of wasting: prior injury and illness make muscles more susceptible to subsequent atrophy. Accumulated encounters with injury and illness may therefore contribute to age-related muscle decline.
Read at The Atlantic
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