August 22, 2022

Muscle Strength vs. Muscle Size with Dr. Sam Buckner

50 minutes

Today, I’m speaking with Dr. Sam Buckner PhD, is an assistant professor of exercise science in the College of Education. Dr. Buckner earned his bachelor’s degree from Temple University in 2012, his master’s degree from Florida Atlantic University in 2014 and his doctorate from the University of Mississippi in 2018. He joined the faculty at USF in the fall of 2018.

Dr. Buckner's research focuses on skeletal muscle adaptation, and his current work places an emphasis in enhancing the understanding of the effects of blood flow restriction on muscle size. Dr. Buckner has 60 papers published in peer-reviewed journals, and in 2012 was the the Guinness World Record holder for the most consecutive 90 degree pushups.

Dr. Buckner is director of the University of South Florida Muscle Laboratory. His research group’s primary focus is on skeletal muscle adaptations to resistance exercise. Specifically, the USF Muscle Laboratory is interested in the influence that exercise induced increases in muscle size have on exercise induced increases in muscle strength. In addition, the lab studies low-load alternatives to traditional resistance exercise (with and without the application of blood flow restriction), and the applications these methods may have on clinical, aging and other populations. Finally, the lab has interest in the time course of skeletal muscle growth and how imaging techniques can be used to best detect the presence of this growth.

We talk about:

-muscle growth adaptation versus muscle strength adaptation

-does muscle size impact strength

-research at the USF Muscle Lab

-limits to grow

-muscle growth and longevity

-areas that need more research

Time Stamps:

1:22 getting started studying strength and hypertrophy

7:25 the investigation of strength and hypertrophy

15:30 the USF Muscle Lab research

23:40 longevity and health