General PE and the science behind how growth occurs.

[Jayce99 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Jayce99]

So I've been reading various articles (whether they are reputable or not is uncertain) claiming that enlargement only occurs due to the formation of scar tissue from within. Can anybody shed some light on this? I'm a bit hesitant to pursue PE if the only reason you get bigger is from scarring.

Any reputable medical/scientific articles or journals would be helpful (although I'm not sure how much I trust those either to be honest).

-Jayce

[closed224 Senior Member Member of the Month Dec 2014, Feb 2017 Find all posts View Profile Close closed224]

If you are careful and follow instructions closely scarring should not be an issue. I have grown quite a bit, and I have no scarring that I am aware of. Part of my routines are to use manual massage to make sure scarring and adhesions do not form inside the penis. I have no impairment on the functionality of my penis.

[Jayce99 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Jayce99]

If you are careful and follow instructions closely scarring should not be an issue. I have grown quite a bit, and I have no scarring that I am aware of. Part of my routines are to use manual massage to make sure scarring and adhesions do not form inside the penis. I have no impairment on the functionality of my penis.

How do you know you have no internal scarring? Have you actually been to see a medical professional about it? I would guess there's no real way to tell if there is scarring or not, even with scans.

I'm also wondering - you say you've grown quite a bit, so that would mean you've been PE'ing for at least 6-12 months minimum, 3-5 days a week. What were your starting measurements and what are they now? Have you been doing manual only exercises or have you included devices as well (what exercises do you do and if any, what devices do you use)?

Sorry for the questions, I like to cover all my bases before I undertake anything that may cause damage to myself.

-Jayce

[Marlon LGHanger Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Marlon LGHanger]

So I've been reading various articles (whether they are reputable or not is uncertain) claiming that enlargement only occurs due to the formation of scar tissue from within. Can anybody shed some light on this? I'm a bit hesitant to pursue PE if the only reason you get bigger is from scarring.

Any reputable medical/scientific articles or journals would be helpful (although I'm not sure how much I trust those either to be honest).

-Jayce

You can find within the forum some very comprehensive study that Dr. Richard Howard has done on "collagen remodeling" that might answer your questions on how growth occurs.
An understanding of the terms Hypertrophy and Hyperplasia would also shed some light on tissue growth.

On a more personal level, I have engaged in some very rigorous PE exercises in the last four years that include manual hand work, and weight hanging. In the past year I have also began to implement pumping. I have yet to do any damage to my penis. To the contrary my penis has gone through a metamorphosis! Not only have I gained size in both length and girth, my overall penis development in shape and vascularity has in my opinion lead to a much healthier penis. I have absolutely no problems with erectile dysfunction. In fact my erections have never been better, and I'am 58 years old. If I do have any scare tissue within my penis, I am unaware of it.

[Big Al AdministratorPEGym EditorMale Enhancement Coach Rep.PEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close Big Al]

Scar tissue in the penis due to damage is known as Peyronie's. Peyronie's is not a common side effect from training at all.

It's interesting how much energy is expended in attempting to "disprove" the effectiveness of male enhancement training. Statements like "It doesn't work", "it works but causes injury", "it only works in certain situations", etc. are devoid of any scientific reasoning without something to back it up.

Here's a simple statement which can be used to establish once and for all whether or not PE works: attempt it for yourself. BECOME THE SCIENTIST! Allow me to explain:

If you're ultraskeptical but not intellectually lazy, then by all means- do your research! Forget who said what and learn what you can behind the science of soft tissue remodeling and training. Once you've learned enough to get started, apply the Scientific Method to yourself and be diligent and objective with your training.

There can be no more honest way of clarifying this once and for all.

[Nimble Banned Find all posts View Profile Close Nimble]

Scar tissue in the penis due to damage is known as Peyronie's. Peyronie's is not a common side effect from training at all.

It's interesting how much energy is expended in attempting to "disprove" the effectiveness of male enhancement training. Statements like "It doesn't work", "it works but causes injury", "it only works in certain situations", etc. are devoid of any scientific reasoning without something to back it up.

Here's a simple statement which can be used to establish once and for all whether or not PE works: attempt it for yourself. BECOME THE SCIENTIST! Allow me to explain:

If you're ultraskeptical but not intellectually lazy, then by all means- do your research! Forget who said what and learn what you can behind the science of soft tissue remodeling and training. Once you've learned enough to get started, apply the Scientific Method to yourself and be diligent and objective with your training.

There can be no more honest way of clarifying this once and for all.

Not exactly... scar tissue in the tunica albuginea is what causes peyronies, scar tissue dispersed throughout the spongy tissue in the erectile chambers however does not cause peyronies and is one potential cause of erectile dysfunction.

[Big Al AdministratorPEGym EditorMale Enhancement Coach Rep.PEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close Big Al]

Not exactly... scar tissue in the tunica albuginea is what causes peyronies, scar tissue dispersed throughout the spongy tissue in the erectile chambers however does not cause peyronies and is one potential cause of erectile dysfunction.

The tunica is a part of the penis, is it not?

As for scar tissue within the spongy bodies, the causes are listed as follows- as per Treatments for fibrosis of the corpora cavernosa

"Corporal fibrosis usually occurs after explantation of an infected penile prosthesis, severe penile trauma, refractory low-flow priapism, Peyronie’s disease, or the chronic intracavernous injection of vasoactive drugs."

-END-

This form of disorder is still not a common one- less so than Peyronie's and (as mentioned in the abstract) can be seen after Peyronie's occurs.

To be clear and to stay on topic for this thread. correlating the above with any penile growth is an incorrect assumption.

[corageon Banned Find all posts View Profile Close corageon]

Just like any other organ, the Penis responds to exercise.
However, in this case the exercise is more or less increasing the diameter of the blood vessels and also Collagen expands and proliferates. Tissue also becomes healthier as circulation is being 'toned' and thus all round more engorgement occurs.

[FossilHead Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close FossilHead]

I am one of those guys who enjoys research, and have included an excerpt from a treatise/dissertation that I am working on...... It is very much incomplete, but hopefully the information, below, will help to illustrate just how realizable penis enlargement is!


Fascia compression and stretching
Fascia is made up primarily of densely packed collagen fibers that create a full body system of sheets, chords and bags that wrap, divide and permeate every one of your muscles, bones, nerves, blood vessels and organs. It creates a sheath around each muscle; because it's stiffer, it resists over-stretching and acts like an anatomical emergency brake.
STRETCH YOUR FASCIA: Once your fascia has tightened up, it doesn't want to let go. Because the fascia can withstand up to 2,000 pounds of pressure per square inch, you're not going to force your way through, so stretch gently. Fascia also works in slower cycles than muscles do, both contracting and stretching more slowly. To stretch the fascia, use gentle, longer-term stretches.
USE A FOAM ROLLER: Like stretching, using a foam roller on your fascia is different than on your muscles. Be gentle and slow in your movements, and when you find an area of tension hold sustained pressure for three to five minutes. You may practice self-massage with the same rules.
There are different philosophies and methods, ranging from Rolfing, which is very aggressive, (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolfing) to fascial unwinding, which is very gentle. Some methods are similar to massage, while others concentrate on long, assisted stretches.
Understanding Your Fascia | Runner's World

(Please also research/read about treatment of hypertrophic scarring by compression.)


Today a few forward-thinking individuals, as Leonardo da Vinci was in his time, are creating a paradigm shift in how we look at the human body. One such individual is Chad Robertson.

A full-time pharmacist, Robertson holds a BSc degree in kinesiology from Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, and a BSc degree in pharmaceutical sciences from the University of Alberta. He says that his interest, and that of his colleagues, in the fascia as a physiologic system developed in the late ’90s with the introduction of Active Release® techniques and the works of Dr. Guy Voyer. He further states that one of his colleagues, Mark Lindsay, says that by holding down fascia for 45-60 seconds, he can actually trigger elongation of the fascia – that is, if the subject is adequately hydrated. More good info and additional research points can be found at The Secret Life of Fascia | Poliquin Article

The Permanent Pain Cure by Ming Chew deals with fascial pain, but out of the 7 components of his method for relieving pain, there are several that appear to support current PE methods, as well.

1.	Hydration: drinking enough water to get your fascia moist and supple.
2.	Anti-inflammation diet. Inflammation = pain. Certain foods trigger inflammation in your fascia, and you’ll learn how to avoid them.
3.	Supplements to support fascial health.
4.	Spinal decompression stretches to separate the vertebrae, releasing pressure on compressed nerves so they can stimulate muscles to function fully.
5.	Fascial stretches to release individual contracted areas in the fascia that cause pain.
6.	Strengthening exercises to lock in the effects of stretching and make fascial releases permanent.
7.	Self-therapy techniques you do yourself to facilitate stretching and strengthening. The Permanent Pain Cure by Ming Chew

Fascia, soft-tissue, and muscular growth
Microtrauma, which is tiny damage to the fibers, may play a significant role in muscle growth. When microtrauma occurs (from weight training or other strenuous activities), the body responds by overcompensating, replacing the damaged tissue and adding more, so that the risk of repeat damage is reduced. Damage to these fibers has been theorized as the possible cause for the symptoms of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), and is why progressive overload is essential to continued improvement, as the body adapts and becomes more resistant to stress.

The term Davis's law is named after Henry Gassett Davis, an American orthopedic surgeon known for his work in developing traction methods. A passage from Davis's 1867 book, Conservative Surgery:

"Ligaments, or any soft tissue, when put under even a moderate degree of tension, if that tension is unremitting, will elongate by the addition of new material; on the contrary, when ligaments, or rather soft tissues, remain uninterruptedly in a loose or lax state, they will gradually shorten, as the effete material is removed, until they come to maintain the same relation to the bony structures with which they are united that they did before their shortening. Nature never wastes her time and material in maintaining a muscle or ligament at its original length when the distance between their points of origin and insertion is for any considerable time, without interruption, shortened."
Soft tissue examples

Tendons are soft tissue structures that respond to changes in mechanical loading. Bulk mechanical properties, such as modulus, failure strain, and ultimate tensile strength, decrease over long periods of disuse as a result of micro-structural changes on the collagen fiber level. In micro-gravity simulations, human test subjects can experience gastrocnemious tendon strength loss of up to 58% over a 90-day period. Test subjects who were allowed to engage in resistance training displayed a smaller magnitude of tendon strength loss in the same micro-gravity environment, but modulus strength decrease was still significant.
Conversely, tendons that have lost their original strength due to extended periods of inactivity can regain most of their mechanical properties through gradual re-loading of the tendon, due to the tendon's response to mechanical loading. Biological signaling events initiate re-growth at the site, while mechanical stimuli further promote rebuilding. This 6-8 week process results in an increase of the tendon's mechanical properties until it recovers its original strength. However, excessive loading during the recovery process may lead to material failure, i.e. partial tears or complete rupture. Additionally, studies show that tendons have a maximum modulus of approximately 800 MPa; thus, any additional loading will not result in a significant increase in modulus strength. These results may change current physical therapy practices, since aggressive training of the tendon does not strengthen the structure beyond its baseline mechanical properties; therefore, patients are still as susceptible to tendon overuse and injuries.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davis%27_law

Smooth muscle hypertrophy and hyperplasia are well-researched and well-documented. Studies have been conducted for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, increased thickness of vessel walls in hypertensive rats and humans, and increased airway smooth muscle mass in asthmatics. Also recall that the uterus is composed of smooth muscle. The classical definition of hypertrophy offered by Harris back in 1970 stated that "although this progressive increase in the mass of the functional cytoplasm may continue until the cell is many times larger than normal, reduplication of DNA and mitosis do not occur."
http://www.pnas.org/content/78/12/7759.full.pdf

However, newer studies are challenging that fact, proposing that at times hypertrophy can be the result of mitosis. Regardless, we should be encouraged that penis growth is possible simply due to the fact that approximately 40% to 50% of the penis is smooth muscle. [The subcutaneous connective tissue of the penis and scrotum has abundant smooth muscle and is called the dartos fascia, which continues into the perineum and fuses with the superficial perineal (Colle) fascia.] The above examples indicate that smooth muscle can, indeed, grow when placed under stress.

Consider the uterus, which is nearly all smooth muscle:

The myometrium stretches (the smooth muscle cells expand in both size and number) during pregnancy to allow for the harboring of the pregnancy. After delivery the myometrium contracts to expel the placenta and reduce blood loss; where the crisscrossing fibers of middle layer compress the blood vessels. In uterine smooth muscle, there is approximately 6-fold more actin than myosin… https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myometrium

It is important to remember that both actin and myosin are PROTEINS. Below we will see mentioned four additional proteins present in smooth muscle: caldesmon, calponin desmin, and vimentin. Just as bodybuilders increase their protein intake to assist in the repair and hypertrophy of their skeletal muscles, so, too, must we ensure that our protein intake is adequate to supply the needs of the smooth muscle we are placing under ‘trauma’ to induce growth!
In addition to increasing our protein intake, increasing our adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is also very important. ATP is the main source of energy for cells, and also aids in muscle contraction and protein production.

Specific ATP supplementation
Supplements to support increased ATP production include creatine, B-complex vitamins, CoQ10, magnesium, alpha lipoic acid, amino acids such as L-Carnitine, and ribose.

Mechanical stretch regulates hypertrophic phenotype of the myometrium during pregnancy.
Abstract

The adaptive growth of the uterus is a critical event that involves changes in cellular phenotypes throughout pregnancy. In early pregnancy, uterine growth is due to hyperplasia of uterine smooth muscle cells (SMCs) within the myometrium; however, the major component of myometrial growth occurs after mid-gestation. This study sought to test the hypothesis that increase in myometrial growth seen during late pregnancy is due to SMC hypertrophy caused by mechanical stretch of uterine tissue by a growing fetus(es) by providing direct measurements of individual SMC size. We employed a stereological approach to calculate the average cell volumes of uterine myocytes through diameter measurements using the Stereoinvestigator statistical software. Uterine tissues were collected from nonpregnant Wistar rats, as well as from gravid and nongravid horns of unilaterally pregnant animals on gestational days (d) 8 (early gestation), 14 (mid-gestation), 19 (late gestation), 22 (term), and 4 days post partum. Anti-caveolin-1 immunostaining was used to clearly delineate SMC boundaries. The stereological analysis revealed that the dramatic increase in myometrial growth seen during late gestation (d19-22) is due to a threefold increase in the size of uterine myocytes. A significant increase in SMC volumes was detected in the gravid uterine horn as compared with the corresponding empty horn of unilateral term pregnant animals (day 22, mean cell volume 1114 vs 361 microm(3), P<0.05), indicating the effect of uterine occupancy. The restriction of the hypertrophy to cells within the gravid horn suggests that it may be a response to the biological mechanical stretch of uterine walls by the growing fetus(es) and placenta(s). Mechanical stretch regulates hypertrophic phenotype of the myometrium during pregnancy. - PubMed - NCBI

So, mechanical force and stretching does the trick for the uterus….it stands to reason that it will do much the same for the penis!

Electron micrographs of smooth muscle reveal that the actin filaments are organized through attachment to the dense bodies that contain a-actinin, a Z-band protein in skeletal muscle. Thus, it is assumed that the dense bodies function as Z-lines. The ratio of thin to thick filaments is much higher in smooth muscle (~15:1) than in skeletal muscle (~6:1). Smooth muscle is rich in intermediate filaments that contain two specific proteins, desmin and vimentin.
In general, smooth muscle contains much less protein (~110 mg/g muscle) than skeletal muscle (~200 mg/g). Notable is the decreased myosin content, ~20 mg/g in smooth muscle versus ~80 mg/g in skeletal muscle. On the other hand, the amounts of actin and tropomyosin are the same in both types of muscle. Smooth muscle does not contain troponin, instead of it there are two other thin filament proteins, caldesmon and calponin.
The amino acid sequence of smooth muscle actin is very similar to that of its skeletal muscle counterpart, and it seems likely that their three-dimensional structures are also similar. Smooth muscle actin combines with either smooth or skeletal muscle myosin. However, there is a major difference in the activation of myosin ATPase by actin, smooth muscle myosin has to be phosphorylated for actin-activation to occur.
https://www.uic.edu/classes/phyb/phy...thmuscleu3.htm
(Great reading, here, for those so inclined)

Thus, our induced microtrauma---- whether obtained by jelqing, compression, clamping, and/or pumping---- should yield beneficial results for both fascia and smooth muscle!

[Big Al AdministratorPEGym EditorMale Enhancement Coach Rep.PEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close Big Al]

I am one of those guys who enjoys research, and have included an excerpt from a treatise/dissertation that I am working on...... It is very much incomplete, but hopefully the information, below, will help to illustrate just how realizable penis enlargement is!

Interesting! We need more minds like yours working on male enhancement

You might want to contact Dr. Howard of mypenisdoctor.com to see if he's available to consult. His breadth and depth of knowledge on these matters should prove valuable to your work.

[FossilHead Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close FossilHead]

Thanks a bunch, BigAl.
I appreciate your comment, and the info!

[Big Al AdministratorPEGym EditorMale Enhancement Coach Rep.PEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close Big Al]

Thanks a bunch, BigAl.
I appreciate your comment, and the info!

Thanks- and thank you for the effort you're putting into your research!