Your cells keep a record of every workout you’ve ever done – and those gains persist even after a break from exercise

‘Use it or lose it’ isn’t quite true when it comes to the health benefits of exercise. Cells across the body retain a memory of training that lasts longer than once thought.

By: Diego Hernandez-Saavedra, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Yi-Heng (Hank) Huang, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: October 7, 2026

Words: 1,237

Last Updated: 1 week, 3 days ago

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By Diego Hernandez-Saavedra, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Yi-Heng (Hank) Huang, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Have you ever taken months off training – maybe due to an injury, a new baby or crushing work deadlines – and come back convinced you were starting from zero?

Research from our team has some good news: At the cellular level, you probably weren’t.

We found that muscle and liver cells store memories from every training …

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