Skeletal muscle memory is an exciting phenomenon gaining significant traction across several scientific communities, among exercise practitioners, and the public. Research has demonstrated that skeletal muscle tissue can be "primed" by earlier positive encounters with exercise training that can enhance adaptation to later retraining, even following significant periods of exercise cessation or detraining. This review will describe and discuss the most recent research investigating the underlying mechanisms of skeletal muscle memory: 1) "cellular" muscle memory and, 2) "epigenetic" muscle memory, as well as emerging evidence of how these theories may work in synergy. We will discuss both "positive" and "negative" muscle memory and highlight the importance of investigating muscle memory for optimizing exercise interventions and training programs as well as the development of therapeutic strategies for counteracting muscle wasting conditions and age-related muscle loss. Finally, important directions emerging in the field will be highlighted to advance the next generation of studies in skeletal muscle memory research into the future.
Keywords: DNA methylation; atrophy; epigenetics; hypertrophy; myonuclei.