Jacob Wang Week 14: Muscle Memory
Muscle memory is something that I use every day. As mentioned in a previous blog I am a huge fan of cubing and have memorized hundreds of different sequences of moves to accomplish different purposes. And yet, I find it quite difficult to recite the move notation when prompted, or to slowly perform one of those sequences for another to see, while doing it extremely easily without thinking when turning faster. Another example is in Tetris, where I have practiced so much that I can move each piece to any spot without thinking about it, leading me to be pretty fast (this is my PR). Or typing really fast. Or playing a sport.
(link)
All of these things are enabled just purely by muscle memory. But surely, your hands can’t have memories. I read this article on a muscle memory study. Surprisingly, the researchers found that the skills of the participants increased during the breaks in between sessions rather than during the sessions themselves. The device they used to measure brain activity found that in the times when people and rats that they tested on were not engaging in the activity, their brains would flash enormously fast mental replays in parts of the brain that are important for memory and motor skills. These replays are too fast for you to consciously realize but they further embed the skill into the brain. This happens both when awake and when you’re asleep. It’s such an important part of people’s lives and I am overall just so extremely grateful for muscle memory.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHi Jacob! I found your blog to be very interesting, since as a dancer I have often relied on muscle memory as an excuse to not practice before class, thinking, “we’ve done this a hundred times before, I’ll be fine…” but I have never thought to figure out how exactly it works. It is also fascinating that the skills of the participants in the study you referenced were increased during breaks rather than during the sessions themselves, as I have often noticed that if I attempt a difficult combination in class, don’t practice whatsoever for a week, but return to class the next week and attempt the very same combination, I am somehow significantly better at it by the next class, even with no practice. This was a very insightful read, and I totally agree with the fact that muscle memory is something to be grateful for since it is so useful in so many areas of life!
ReplyDeleteHi Jacob! As a person who often find themselves using muscle memory pretty frequently, I found your blog to be very interesting. I use muscle memory in a lot of things like playing video games or doing something physical, but I have never really though about it deeply and why it stay in my muscles and why I can just do the action without thinking. Reading your blog gave me knowledgeable insight and how muscle memory works and how researchers have found that it has to do with super fast mental replays of the action and i found it interesting that it happens when your awake and asleep. I agree with you that muscle memory is a big part of people's lives and that it also plays a big role in my life. Thank you for showing your knowledge on muscle memory!
ReplyDeleteHello Jacob! I enjoyed reading your blog, in fact, I think that we use muscle memory more than we acknowledge throughout the day. Like you mentioned, we use muscle memory in typing, which has become a part of our lives, and for example writing. I agree that muscle memory can make you fast, even with everyday life, it is like our body remembers exactly what to do in a way that our brains can't explain. The study you mentioned was very interesting. I also used to think that skill improvements occur between each session, and not just during the session. For example, I have read that reading at night helps you remember it faster, and for instance, you practice once and then the next time you practice it you realize you automatically got it. Your blog made me realize and appreciate all the things we learn without even realising it.
ReplyDelete