Recent research highlights the concept of “muscle memory,” traditionally understood as the body’s ability to remember coordination patterns through motor neurons. New findings indicate that muscles themselves possess a form of memory related to movement and exercise. When a muscle is engaged, cellular changes occur that continue beyond the duration of the exercise, leading to a process of memory formation within the muscle cells.
Muscle growth and strength enhancement through repeated exercise are well recognized. Adam Sharples, a muscle scientist and professor at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, notes that the unique structure of skeletal muscle cells, which are long and multi-nucleated, aids this process. These cells grow by enlisting muscle satellite cells, specialized stem cells that activate in response to stress or injury. Additionally, the nuclei introduced by these satellite cells remain in muscle fibers for extended periods, potentially facilitating quicker growth upon resuming training.
Sharples studies “epigenetic muscle memory,” which involves changes in gene expression related to behavior and environment without altering the underlying genes. Exercise is seen to activate genes that support muscle growth more efficiently. Research from Sharples’ lab in 2018 demonstrated that human skeletal muscle retains an epigenetic memory related to muscle growth, enabling faster adaptations even after extended inactivity.
Further studies suggest similar epigenetic muscle memory patterns in mice and older adults. In contrast, evidence shows that muscles may also remember periods of atrophy differently based on age; younger muscles appear to recover from atrophy more effectively than older muscles, which may exhibit a heightened susceptibility to further loss.
Notably, illness can contribute to a negative muscle memory profile. Research involving breast cancer survivors indicated that participants retained an epigenetic profile indicative of aging. However, aerobic exercise training over five months helped realign their epigenetic profile with that of healthy peers. This indicates that positive muscle experiences may mitigate negative ones, suggesting that muscles can adapt and retain beneficial responses over time.
Source: https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/10/10/1124963/muscles-remember-explained/