Mixed
Long-term detraining (30-32 weeks) in previously strength-trained women retains a significant portion of maximal dynamic strength and muscle fiber cross-sectional area, preventing a full return to pre-training baseline levels.
If you are a trained woman who must take a break from lifting for 30+ weeks, do not panic about losing everything. Your body retains significant strength and muscle structure. When you return to training, you will regain your previous fitness levels much faster than an untrained person would, because your neural and structural adaptations are partially preserved.
Detraining had relatively little effect on fiber cross-sectional area but resulted in an increased percentage of type IIb fibers with a concomitant decrease in IIa fibers. Maximal dynamic strength decreased but not to pretraining levels.
Why this rating
Small sample size (n=6 PT women) but rigorous within-subject design with muscle biopsies and strength testing.
Source
Strength and skeletal muscle adaptations in heavy-resistance-trained women after detraining and retraining
Robert S. Staron et al. · Journal of Applied Physiology · 1991
DOI 10.1152/jappl.1991.70.2.631
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