10 Interesting Facts about Muscles (Part 1)

It is now well-known that strength training leads to very important biological changes in trained people, whatever the age.  Numerous studies, experts, and health organizations have examined the subject and concluded that strength training plays a crucial role not only in maintaining good health, but also in improving it substantially. Strength training addresses the musculoskeletal system. Here are a few interesting examples of how starting a strength training regimen could help improve your health and how things really work.

1. You're more muscular than you think

Researchers have always been interested in knowing more about the musculoskeletal system and its repercussions on different bodily functions. A 2000 study[1] suggested that muscle mass plays a vital role in maintaining proper functioning since it accounts for 30 to 40% of a person's bodyweight. That same study determined that gender, age and physical activity were determining factors in a person's muscle mass, with greater muscle mass loss occurring in people over 50 years old.  The researchers also confirmed that people who did strength training had a greater muscle mass.

​Points worth retaining: 30 to 40% of your weight is muscle mass. Everybody should maintain a good muscle mass but people over 50 should definitely do so in order to limit the adverse effects of losing muscle.

2. Energy stores

If we dive in a little deeper and examine muscle tissue, we find that muscles are formed by tiny fibres, also called muscle cells. The number of fibres a muscle has varies a lot depending on its size: it's no secret that leg muscles are much larger than arm muscles and we could expect them to have a greater number of fibres. These cells, like all cells in your body, have in them what we call mitochondria. Mitochondria are the power plants of a cell and allow the cells to take a nutrient, break it down and create energy. Needless to say, muscle fibres are very energy-hungry and require good, healthy mitochondria in order to be able to contract and allow us to move. Luckily, studies have shown that strength training improves mitochondria function[2]. Other studies have also shown that regular high intensity resistance training improves glycogen storage capacity - glycogen being a very potent source of energy for your muscles[3].  These two mechanisms help to explain how strength training makes people more energetic!
 
Points worth retaining: strength training will increase your energy level by improving both your mitochondrial function and your muscle cells' capacity to store glycogen.

3. Thermoregulation

Simply put, thermoregulation refers to the body's ability to regulate its core temperature. This function serves a survival purpose by protecting vital organs such as the brain, the liver and the heart and to limit potential damage or even death, maintaining it at a normal temperature of 37o C. In order to maintain that temperature, the body is equipped with different mechanisms. Muscle plays a predominant role in regulating body temperature.[4]  As a result of ageing, and loss of muscle mass makes people more vulnerable to both hot and cold[5]. This is particularly important in the elderly. When we don't have enough muscle tissue, we cannot produce enough heat and it is more difficult to maintain a normal body temperature. In this example, it helps to imagine muscle tissue as an insulator.

Points worth retaining: strength training comes with an increase in muscle mass, which comes with a better ability to generate heat and to maintain a normal body temperature, which is particularly important in the elderly.

4. Muscles are nothing without the nervous syste

All these things about muscle tissue are interesting but let's remember that without the brain, the spinal cord and nerves, muscles wouldn't do much. It helps to imagine the nervous system as the orchestral conductor for the whole body, including muscle tissue. Simply put, the brain reaches down and connects to every muscle of the body through nerves, passing through the spinal cord. These connections are called neuromuscular junctions and have been shown to improve their function with a regular strength training regimen.
 
Points worth retaining:
​very specific adaptations at the neuro-muscular junction occur following strength training, making trained people stronger through better muscle fibre recruitment.
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5. It's very adaptable

 To me, the most interesting fact is that this whole system is adaptable.  In other words, we now have the knowledge, the equipment and the methods to fully improve our health in unimaginable ways, with as little as 30 minutes per week. A vast number of studies have shown the benefits of a high-effort protocol, involving fewer visits to the gym and aiming for a small number of high quality workouts rather than a large number of poor quality workouts.
 
Points worth retaining: you can always improve your health, no matter your age. Always keep in mind that muscle tissue is perhaps the most important aspect to work on as you get older but rest assured, great benefits await those who want to improve their health through strength training.

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The human body and its functioning have always fascinated me - as early as my biology courses in high school. Interested in strength training and exercise myself, it was clear that the study of the human body and movement would influence my choice of career. After three years of university studies, I obtained my Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from the Université du Québec à Montréal. 

​For more information on how strength training can help you, you can reach me or one of the other trainers at Simply Stronger!

CLICK HERE FOR A FREE INTRODUCTION SESSION WITH US!
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OR CALL: 514-769-1010

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REFERENCES

[1] Jannsen, I., Heymsfield, S., Wang, Z., Ross, R. Skeletal muscle mass and distribution in 468 men and women aged 18-88 yr, J Appl Physiol 89: 81-88, 2000.

[2] Porter C, Reidy PT, Bhattarai N, Sidossis LS, Rasmussen BB. Resistance Exercise Training Alters Mitochondrial Function in Human Skeletal Muscle. Medicine and science in sports and exercise. 2015;47(9):1922-1931. 

[3] Tesch, PA. Skeletal muscle adaptations consequent to long-term heavy resistance exercise. Medicine and science in sports and exercice, 1988 Oct; 20 (5 Suppl): S132-4.

[4] Rowland LA, Bal NC, Periasamy M. The role of skeletal-muscle-based thermogenic mechanisms in vertebrate endothermy. Biological reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society. 2015;90(4):1279-1297. doi:10.1111/brv.12157.
 

[5] McGuff, D., Little, J., Body by Science - A Research-Based Program for Strength Training, Body Building, and Complete Fitness in 12 Minutes a Week, USA, McGraw-Hill, 2008.