Keeping your body strong means more than just being able to do pull-ups or carry groceries with ease. From metabolism to hormonal health, here are some ways muscles matter.
When we think about muscles, our minds quickly go to abs, quads, biceps and triceps—but of course we have hundreds more. Muscles make up roughly 30 percent of a woman’s body mass. (For men, the percentage hovers at around 40 percent.) The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn.
And some good news: Despite what you may have heard, it’s not inevitable that your muscles will wither as you age. There are simple and straightforward ways you can outsmart the clock and keep your metabolism cranked Here are three research-backed reasons you should focus on building strong muscles, plus advice that will help you get stronger all over.
More Muscle Ups Your Metabolism
It’s a cruel reality of weight loss: When people drop pounds, their metabolism often takes a dive. Fat cells make leptin, a chemical that tells your brain you’re full. When leptin levels dip (which can happen if you’re on a diet), your body slows its metabolism to conserve energy. But you can boost your burn by pumping iron. People who did resistance training for nine months had a roughly 5 percent increase in their resting metabolic rate. Getting more protein is key as well. While the recommended dietary allowance is 0.8 grams per kilogram (0.36 grams per pound) of body weight per day. To prevent muscle loss while losing weight, you need to almost double that.
Menopause Isn’t Kind to Muscles
Estrogen appears to be related to muscle strength, which means that as your estrogen levels decline, your muscles may get weaker. One thing that might help: a vitamin D supplement. Postmenopausal women who took 1,000 IU of D₃ per day for nine months had a 25 percent increase in their muscle strength; the women taking a placebo had a 7 percent drop in muscle mass. But popping a pill isn’t enough to fight the decline, stresses JoAnn Pinkerton, MD, executive director of the North American Menopause Society and professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Virginia Health System. Strength training is also needed —ideally, you should do two or three workouts a week.
Inflammation May Help Heal Muscles
After a gym session, you may be tempted to pop an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory to ward off soreness. But post-workout inflammation—which is temporary, as opposed to chronic inflammation—might be a good thing. After exercise, pro-inflammatory T cells infiltrate damaged muscle fibers, possibly to help repair the tissue; after a repeat round of exercise, inflammation increases. One of our theories is that this inflammation is a healthy process your body uses to heal muscles. What’s more, inflammation and post-exercise soreness didn’t actually seem to be linked. In fact, folks experienced less soreness after their second round of exercise, when inflammation was higher. Try easing aches with ice or moist heat instead of meds.
0 comments: