30/05/2022
Did you know…
💪🏼 Skeletal muscle is actually an endocrine organ.
💪🏼 Muscles are our largest glucose disposal tanks. They regulate our metabolism & are at helping with insulin sensitivity.
💪🏼 When our muscles contract we produce cytokines. Of particular importance is Interleukin-6, [IL-6] that increases significantly in plasma concentration when we contract our muscles. Myokine IL-6 specifically travels beyond the muscle to affect our metabolism in all tissues, organs, is anti-inflammatory, and affects our fuel utilization (aka: fatty acids & glucose control).
💪🏼 I’ve said it before & I’ll say it again… strong muscles = strong bones. Strengthen your muscles & you strengthen your bones. 🦴
💪🏼 To grow muscle mass progressive overload (increase of load, or reps, or sets etc) when lifting is just one piece of the puzzle. Protein dosing post training is key. Around 40g or more is where the research is for muscle protein synthesis [about 1g of protein per pound of lean body mass]. This can be achieved in a smoothie via protein powder such as whey or if dairy free beef protein isolate, or food, and generally speaking should be within an hour post training.
💪🏼 Vitamin D, Creatine, Omega-3 essential fatty acids, and magnesium are supplements helpful to muscular health. “D3” is important for muscle strength. Creatine helps with phosphate transfer for production & regeneration of adenosine triphosphate [ATP]. Studies show it has a positive affect on weight training. You can supplement, or obtain via dietary animal sources. Omega-3 essential fatty acids are “essential” because we can’t produce them! This helps to aid in lowering muscle inflammation and in recovery as does magnesium.
💪🏼 Menopause sees the drop off of E2 estrogen & progesterone. Low estrogen affects body composition, decreases bone density, muscle & strength & causes weight gain in particular visceral “belly” fat. This could be in part due to a decrease in energy expenditure via the hypothalamus 🧠 according to the literature. Now more than ever is important to put interventions into play such as resisting our muscles to produce stimuli.
💪🏼 Do you hustle for your muscle? 😆
