A movement starts as a thought, which transforms into signals that the brain uses to command the body to work. Repetitive actions, even complicated ones, trigger recognisable patterns in the region of the brain that controls motor skills, leading to a quicker and smoother movement that needs less thought or brainpower. Muscle memory is the commitment of a specific motor skill into memory through practice and repetition.
Muscles consist of neurons (nerve cells) linked to part of the nervous system involved in motor learning.
What is muscle memory?
“Muscle memory is the neuroplasticity of the muscle. This has to do with the nerve innervations that take place early on during training,” says Dr Vivekanand Upadhyay, sports medicine specialist at Section Hospital, Indian Military Academy, Dehradun. “Initially, during any form of training, changes take place in your body. While the body performs the movement, the brain records this pattern in great detail. When the athlete tries to move again, the brain accesses this recording and effortlessly moves with the thought.”
Effects of muscle memory
Muscle memory can help in perfecting a technique based on the number of times you have repeated the movement. Whenever there is feedback from the muscle about an action, a corrective mechanism is triggered at the level of the proprioceptor, which is found around the muscles, joints, spinal cord and brain. This leads to perfection in the rhythm of the movement, says Dr Upadhyay.
Muscle memory in children
The young brain is a clean slate. The number of connections possible inside the brain is limitless. Due to this, many types of activities and skills get automated. As a child grows, he/she learns new things that the brain ingrains into neurological patterns. But over time, the child loses this capability and finds it extremely difficult to learn new techniques.
Children who are exposed to physical activities and sports build strong neural connections and thereby muscle memory which will be useful to them as they grow older.
For instance, if a child practices jumping around three to four times every day from the moment he/she learns how to jump, it will reduce his/her chances of falling as an adult.
How can one use muscle memory?
The brain works fast to memorise any new action. Repeating an action (such as riding a bike or throwing a ball) teaches the brain and body to automate it. These learned actions stay with us for a lifetime.
Muscle memory is used in perfecting a technique. Let’s take the example of javelin throw. An athlete repeatedly practices the throw till he or she achieves the perfect technique. However, muscle memory can be a double-edged sword. While practicing incorrect techniques may provide reliable performance in the short-term, they may injure the athlete over time. Forging good techniques and automating them leads to better longevity and performance.
“The rule of 10,000 hours (meaning 10,000 hours of practice) is necessary to achieve perfection, though it is not absolute,” says Dr Upadhyay. “The more you practice, the more you learn and more the muscles memorise. Hence, even if someone comes back after a break, they can return to their peak level a lot faster.”
Hence, it is essential to develop good training habits that help the brain and body to memorise the movement correctly.
Takeaways
- Muscle memory is the commitment of a specific motor skill into memory through practice and repetition.
- Repetition of good form leads to perfect technique and injury-free performance.
- Children exposed to various forms of physical activity will have a baseline of fitness and muscle memory that protects them from injury as adults.
