The Fast Twitch Boys of Summer

In my 2005 book, In Arthur's Shadow, I predicted that once the fitness craze took over, professional golf would fall into the same traps that bodybuilding has over the years - more is better, two-a-day workouts, split training systems and special routines for golfers, etc. Add this to the list.

A low-handicap golfer approached me the other day reporting that a mutual friend (a physical therapist who works with PGA Tour players) mentioned that many pro golfers were working on their "twitch" muscles. Once I explained the concept to him, I thought, "Sounds like a knee-jerk response to the latest trend in sports-performance training - training muscle fibers to respond to specific needs." All I can say is "Good luck!"

Muscles have a mix of fiber types. That is, some fibers are strong and powerful when activated; others are endurance oriented. The strong ones are called "fast twitch" muscle fibers and, like sprinters, they don't last long. The weaker ones are called "slow twitch" fibers and, like marathon runners, they can last a long time. The buzz among athletes and trainers is that different training methods can DEVELOP certain fibers. For example, that moving quickly or explosively with weights, that using heavy resistance and few repetitions can PROMOTE the use of fast-twitch fibers. And the contrary, that moving slowly against resistance while performing higher repetition schemes promotes or develops slow-twitch fibers. Not so.

Muscle fibers are activated by intensity of effort during exercise. When intensity is low (during the first few repetitions), the brain perceives little need to call upon the big boys, so it sends in the lower order of fibers (at least lower on the strength/power scale), the "slow-twitch" fibers. Toward the end of a difficult set, the brain senses "Help" and recruits higher order "fast-twitch" fibers. If the intensity falls much short of a full effort, the fast-twitch fibers will stay home - no need to make an appearance. As far as converting muscle fiber-type to the needs of the athlete, high repetitions for endurance does not work; and low reps, heavy weights for strength does not work. And varying movement speed during exercise has nothing to do with fiber-type recruitment. If you think otherwise, show me the research . . . and good luck.

Professional golf's attempt at recruiting or developing fast-twitch muscle fibers to produce a more powerful golf swing is doomed. The quality and quantity of muscle fiber is dictated by genetics - you have it or you don't - and what you get is NOT SUBJECT TO CHANGE.

Golfers don't know much about exercise, but trainers are to blame - dumb, follow-the-crowd trainers. Let's hope they don't send too many athletes to the hospital in the process.