Physiological Hypertrophy of the FHL Muscle Following 8 Weeks of Progressive Resistance Exercise in the Rat

In humans, progressive resistance exercise is recognized for its ability to induce skeletal muscle hypertrophy. In an attempt to develop an animal model which mimics human progressive resistance exercise, Sprague-Dawley rats were trained to climb a 1.1-m vertical (80 degree incline) ladder with weights secured to their tail. The rats were trained once every 3 days for 8 weeks. Each training session consisted of 4-9 (6.02 +/- 0.23) climbs requiring 8-12 dynamic movements per climb. Based on performance, the weight carried during each session was progressively increased. Over the course of 8 weeks, the maximal amount of weight the rats could carry increased 287%, p