For Parents what is fast twitch anyway?

[Flicfliclay]

Just because i am bored and hey why not bring in a new topic to chat about!
So what does "fast twitch" mean? Several of my daughters coaches have mentioned several times that she has amazing "fast twitch" and form. What does that mean anyway? Does she have super powers? ( yeah i am totally kidding, can you imagine having a super hero called Fast Twitch! umm sounds like something that a meth addict has )... So as you can see this is just a fun thread to get see what that means and for a little laugh. I hope everyone is having a spectacular day!

 

[spider_monkey]

Just because i am bored and hey why not bring in a new topic to chat about!
So what does "fast twitch" mean? Several of my daughters coaches have mentioned several times that she has amazing "fast twitch" and form. What does that mean anyway? Does she have super powers? ( yeah i am totally kidding, can you imagine having a super hero called Fast Twitch! umm sounds like something that a meth addict has )... So as you can see this is just a fun thread to get see what that means and for a little laugh. I hope everyone is having a spectacular day!

From my experience as a runner...
Fast twitch= speed and explosive power
Slow twitch= endurance

Seems to me like you'd want fast twitch for vault and tumbling.

 

[gymbeam]

I e read a few threads on here about it before but never understood it or how to recognize it even after reading them. Following this hoping someone will say something to clear it up more for me.

 

[rjb123]

I have always wondered. DD's coaches have from the time she was itty bitty worked to (for lack of a better way of explaining) slow her down. She tumbles fast, she does beam fast- everything! We were just watching some old videos from old four and new level four- that kid was a little speed demon tumbler! lol! And her beam was fast too! Even up to last spring DD said she had coaches/ kids comment to her how fast she is on beam. lol. I think it drives DD's coaches nuts and it makes DD a little nutty because she says she is trying to slow down, but she just can't! I am not sure if this is fast twitch or just speed demon. HA!

 

[Madden3]

I want to know too!

 

[Flyaway]

I believe it's how your muscles transfer energy (my very unscientific explanation. ). You can see it most easily in explosive tumbling.

 

[Flicfliclay]

Still not understanding! LOL! The coaches did give the example of Simone having "fast twitch"... but heck Simone probably had every awesome thing that a gymnast would want rolled into one package! I can say my daughters double backs and other types of tumbling skills are so fast you can hardly tell what happened. Like super crazy fast that i have to slow mo it in order to see what she did. So maybe it the rate of speed in which they rotate in a skill? LOL

 

[Flyaway]

I don't think it's just speed though. It's power and explosion, which would be why slow(er) twitch gymnasts tend to excel on beam and bars - both of which are precision apparatus that you can not just power through. That's not true across the board of course, and there are always exceptions. But I do think that's why it's so hard to be an excellent all arounder, and why even Simone struggles a bit on bars.

 

[Flicfliclay]

I don't think it's just speed though. It's power and explosion, which would be why slow(er) twitch gymnasts tend to excel on beam and bars - both of which are precision apparatus that you can not just power through. That's not true across the board of course, and there are always exceptions. But I do think that's why it's so hard to be an excellent all arounder, and why even Simone struggles a bit on bars.

Gosh I’m confused..My daughters best events are bars ( 1st in state and region ) and beam ( 3rd in region ) .. so I’m really not sure! I could ask the coaches, but it’s more fun getting all opinions here!

 

[Flyaway]

Gosh I’m confused..My daughters best events are bars ( 1st in state and region ) and beam ( 3rd in region ) .. so I’m really not sure! I could ask the coaches, but it’s more fun getting all opinions here!

hehe. Well maybe you've got a good all arounder! Who knows? If you search fast twitch in the forums you'll find threads about it. General consensus from what I've seen here is fast twitch is preferable because it can't be taught. You either are or you aren't. But again, who knows?

 

[gasrgoose]

Generally, if you have a higher level gymnast they are more fast twitch than an average athlete. Like anything there are degrees, Simone being the pinnacle. Endurance athletes would generally be considered excelling in slow twitch rather than fast twitch when compared to other athletes. Of course there are exceptions, some people are great athletes and will excel at both fast twitch and slow twitch events. All people have both types of muscles. If someone if referring to a fast twitch athlete they will typically be powerful, explosive, quick, etc. But keep in mind higher level gymnastics requires an above average level of athletic ability and fast twitch muscles. So while your daughter might not excel as much in fast twitch as the amazing tumbler on the team she likely is above average in the "fast twitch" department if she is successfully competing at level 9 or 10.

 

[Bug's mom]

Fast (Type II) and slow (Type I) twitch muscle fibers are built slightly differently, use energy sources a bit differently and work differently depending on training conditions. Fast twitch provide short bursts of explosive output, use glucose or glycogen preferentially and work well under anaerobic conditions (when oxygen to the cells is limited). Think Simone Biles' explosive power. Slow twitch muscle is the endurance fiber, using both fat and glucose or glycogen as an energy source and preferring aerobic conditions (available oxygen, not '80s workouts). Think long distance runner. How much of each kind of fiber you have is determined by genetics, training and nutrition.

 

[gymbeam]

Does one type teen to be bulkier or more defined in appearance than another?

 

[ladybird]

Fast (Type II) and slow (Type I) twitch muscle fibers are built slightly differently, use energy sources a bit differently and work differently depending on training conditions. Fast twitch provide short bursts of explosive output, use glucose or glycogen preferentially and work well under anaerobic conditions (when oxygen to the cells is limited). Think Simone Biles' explosive power. Slow twitch muscle is the endurance fiber, using both fat and glucose or glycogen as an energy source and preferring aerobic conditions (available oxygen, not '80s workouts). Think long distance runner. How much of each kind of fiber you have is determined by genetics, training and nutrition.

Tell me more about the nutrition piece of this.

 

[profmom]

This is not a bad explanation, though it's a bit technical. https://blog.nasm.org/fitness/fast-twitch-slow-twitch-whats-difference-matter/

People are born with the proportions they have. It's possible for people who are predominantly one or the other to train the muscles they have and make them as effective as possible, but someone with a preponderance of slow twitch would, if trained to peak capability, likely get further in distance running than in gymnastics. You can't turn slow twitch fibers into fast twitch fibers. I'd guess that for something on the order of 95% of competitive gymnasts, it makes little or no difference, as the training is going to promote fast twitch development.

 

[Flicfliclay]

Generally, if you have a higher level gymnast they are more fast twitch than an average athlete. Like anything there are degrees, Simone being the pinnacle. Endurance athletes would generally be considered excelling in slow twitch rather than fast twitch when compared to other athletes. Of course there are exceptions, some people are great athletes and will excel at both fast twitch and slow twitch events. All people have both types of muscles. If someone if referring to a fast twitch athlete they will typically be powerful, explosive, quick, etc. But keep in mind higher level gymnastics requires an above average level of athletic ability and fast twitch muscles. So while your daughter might not excel as much in fast twitch as the amazing tumbler on the team she likely is above average in the "fast twitch" department if she is successfully competing at level 9 or 10.

Thank you, I think I understand it somewhat now. My daughter is 10 a level 9 training Elite. Hopefully her “fast [email protected] helps he out!

 

[nycgymmom]

Fast (Type II) and slow (Type I) twitch muscle fibers are built slightly differently, use energy sources a bit differently and work differently depending on training conditions. Fast twitch provide short bursts of explosive output, use glucose or glycogen preferentially and work well under anaerobic conditions (when oxygen to the cells is limited). Think Simone Biles' explosive power. Slow twitch muscle is the endurance fiber, using both fat and glucose or glycogen as an energy source and preferring aerobic conditions (available oxygen, not '80s workouts). Think long distance runner. How much of each kind of fiber you have is determined by genetics, training and nutrition.

Can you elaborate on nutrition?

 

[John]

All I can say it think white meat and dark meat.

 

[Bug's mom]

Does one type teen to be bulkier or more defined in appearance than another?

Fast twitch muscle tends to be bulkier, the fibers are shorter with more 'splayed' (sorry, can't think how to properly describe it) attachments one to the other. Slow twitch muscle fibers are longer and when attached together lie flatter and create less bulk.

 

[Bug's mom]

Can you elaborate on nutrition?

Basically, you feed them their favorite energy source to both help them function, and to proliferate (combined, of course, with training under specific conditions). Fast twitch like carbs, slow twitch like (healthy) fats. Both tissues with use both energy sources depending on presence/shortage of oxygen, but there's a preference by each.