Franchi et al.

SpringerPlus (2016) 5:94

DOI 10.1186/s40064-015-1548-8

LETTER TO THE EDITOR Open Access

Fascicle length does increase in response

to longitudinal resistance training and in a
contraction‑mode specific manner
Martino V. Franchi1*, Philip J. Atherton1, Constantinos N. Maganaris2 and Marco V. Narici1

Dear Editor: Russell et  al. 2000). Seminal pre-clinical studies previ-
ously showed that skeletal muscle responds to passive
Morphological adaptations of skeletal muscle to resist-
and intermittent stretch by adding new sarcomeres in-
ance exercise training (RET) have been the subject of
series (Holly et al. 1980; Goldspink 1985; Williams et al.
many studies: essentially, muscle hypertrophy is achieved
1988; Williams 1990), a phenomenon that occurs also in
by a structural remodelling of the contractile machinery,
response to exercise regimes/overload, especially when
which can be assessed macroscopically by investigating
including lengthening muscle actions (Goldspink 1999;
changes in muscle architecture (i.e. fascicle length, Lf;
Proske and Morgan 2001). Greater addition of serial sar-
pennation angle, PA; muscle thickness, MT) (Gans 1982;
comeres was found in rats after downhill compared to
Narici 1999; Lieber and Fridén 2000, 2001; Reeves et  al.
uphill running (Lynn and Morgan 1994; Butterfield et al.
2004, 2005). A thorough understanding of muscle archi-
2005), reinforcing the concept of muscle longitudinal
tecture is indeed fundamental when interpreting train-
growth being intimately related to lengthening contrac-
ing-induced changes in muscle function given its key role
tions. Indeed, the addition of sarcomeres in series (and
as determinant of muscle mechanical properties (Narici
thus increased Lf ) appears to be one of the main “protec-
et al. 2015; Lieber and Fridén 2000).
tive” mechanisms after eccentric exercise induced muscle
In a recent study by Fukutani and Kurihara (2015) pub-
damage (Morgan and Talbot 2002).
lished in SpringerPlus (2015, 4:341), the authors inves-
Further support to these observations on animal mus-
tigated differences in Lf between resistance trained and
cle can be found in numerous studies investigating
untrained individuals using a cross-sectional design:
architectural responses to RET, directly in humans. Inter-
the main conclusion being made was that Lf was not
estingly, Fukutani and Kurihara stated it as controversial
associated with muscle hypertrophy on the basis that
as to whether Lf increases after RET: however the num-
no significant differences in Lf were found between the
ber of reports showing no increases in Lf in response to
groups. The authors claimed that fascicle length does not
exercise is limited (Blazevich et  al. 2007b; Erskine et  al.
increase with resistance training.
2010; Ema et  al. 2013) compared to those that demon-
Some fundamental considerations arise from these
strated an increase in Lf after either conventional resist-
findings. Skeletal muscle hypertrophy in response to RET
ance, isokinetic, isoinertial or even marathon training
is mainly accomplished with the addition of new contrac-
(Morgan and Proske 2004; Seynnes et al. 2007; Blazevich
tile material as a result of enhanced muscle myofibrillar
et al. 2007a; Potier et al. 2009; Reeves et al. 2009; Baroni
protein synthesis after exercise (Glass 2003; Atherton
et al. 2013; Franchi et al. 2014, 2015; Sharifnezhad et al.
and Smith 2012). Moreover, it is well established that
2014; McMahon et  al. 2014; Murach et  al. 2015). But,
the longitudinal post-natal growth of mammal muscle is
most importantly, it was recently reported by our group
associated with the increased in length and size of mus-
that, in both young and older populations, architectural
cle fibres (Goldspink 1968; Williams and Goldspink 1971;
changes, such as increases in Lf, are somewhat con-
traction-specific (Reeves et  al. 2009; Franchi et  al. 2014,
*Correspondence: [email protected] 2015). That is, concentric loading promotes increases in
1
MRC‑ARUK Centre of Excellence for Musculoskeletal Ageing Research, PA, reflecting preferential addition of sarcomeres in par-
School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Derby DE22 3DT, UK
Full list of author information is available at the end of the article
allel, whereas eccentric training favours the increase of

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Franchi et al. SpringerPlus (2016) 5:94 Page 2 of 3

Lf through the addition of sarcomeres in series. It is our Abbreviations

RET: resistance-exercise training; Lf: fascicle length; PA: pennation angle; MT:
opinion that these investigations should have been cited muscle thickness.
in Fukutani and Kurihara’s manuscript. Furthermore,
considering the substantial number of longitudinal stud- Authors’ contributions
MVF: conception of the manuscript; MVF, PJA, CNM and MVN: drafting of the
ies that have showed significant changes in Lf and muscle manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
architecture after RET, the adoption of such a cross-sec-
tional study design calls into question the validity of Author details
1
 MRC‑ARUK Centre of Excellence for Musculoskeletal Ageing Research,
these conclusions. Moreover, the investigation was per- School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Derby DE22 3DT, UK. 2 Research
formed on recreationally active volunteers (the untrained Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University,
group, with “no experience in regular RET”) compared Liverpool, UK.
to a group of “resistance exercise trained” participants, Competing interests
either body builders or rugby players (i.e. the number of The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
bodybuilders/rugby players was not specified). Taking
Funding information
into account the aforementioned considerations on the We acknowledge the Biotechnology and Biological Science Research Council
contraction-specificity of architectural responses, the (BBSRC) U.K. Some of the referenced data were obtained from a BBSRC UK
individual history of resistance training in both groups funded project (code: BB/K019104/1).
should have been accounted for. Kawakami and col- Received: 1 September 2015 Accepted: 20 November 2015
leagues (1993) previously reported that PA and MT are
greater in bodybuilders compared to untrained and mod-
erately trained subjects (Lf was not investigated), but Abe
et al. (2000, 2001), showed that Lf is greater in elite male
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