What term describes skeletal muscle fiber enlargement?

• A. Power
• B. Endurance
• C. Hypertrophy
• D. Stabilization

Answer: (C)

Hypertrophy describes the enlargement of skeletal muscle fibers. When you train with resistance, the existing muscle fibers increase in cross-sectional area as they synthesize more contractile proteins and add myofibrils, making each fiber bigger and capable of generating more force. This is distinct from endurance adaptations, which primarily improve metabolic capacity through more mitochondria and capillary networks rather than increasing fiber size. Stabilization concerns neuromuscular control and joint stability, not fiber size, and hyperplasia would mean more muscle fibers rather than bigger ones, which is not the typical mechanism in adults.