The Importance of Building Muscle: An in-depth examination of physiological, metabolic, and psychological benefits.

When we think of building muscle, a lot of us automatically think, “Well, I don’t want to get too bulky.” After working with hundreds of clients over the last decade and a half we have never witnessed anyone build muscle too easily. In fact, building muscle takes a considerable amount of time and effort, most importantly, calculated consistency.

However, as we know, building muscle is not an overnight process, and its significance extends far beyond mere appearance. Here, we will delve into the multifaceted benefits of muscle building, encompassing physiological health, metabolic efficiency, and psychological well-being. We will also explore the underlying mechanisms through which muscle mass contributes to overall health and longevity, supported by a comprehensive review of current scientific literature.

Skeletal muscle constitutes approximately 40% of total body mass in healthy adults and plays a pivotal role in various bodily functions, including movement, posture maintenance, and thermogenesis (Kelley & Goodpaster, 2001). The process of building muscle, known as hypertrophy, involves an increase in the overall mass of muscle fibers, a physiological adaptation to resistance training.

Here’s the thing, HOW we build muscle is just as important in the muscle building process itself. Mindlessly lifting weights and just going through the motions and reps can lead to more problems down the road. This is why we are diligently working on updating our free guide, our weekly walk workout classes we will be hosting very soon with our master trainers we have hired as well as a future one time payment program.

Our goal is to teach you how to “Get the Gains without the Pains.” Catchy right? Well, this is precisely the problem with the globo-gym experience that most individuals are subject to. There are far better methods to build muscle, and plenty of it, without creating tons of inflammation and, most importantly, faulty leverages in the body that create movement deficiencies and ultimately lead to injury.

Our goal is to hydrate your fascia rather than the typical dehydration approach. We attack this by integrating gait-based, “FUNctional,” full-body integrated movements that help you look and feel like an athlete. Anyways, if you are interested, contact us at [email protected], and we will gladly guide you to one of our upcoming weekly walk workout workshops! I digress. Let’s begin with the plethora of benefits that building muscle offers to all human beings alike:

In today’s world, we are prone to being more inactive than ever before. 90% of our time is spent in a leisure position. We call these people active couch potatoes. When we are constantly in these leisurely positions, our muscle mass starts to decline more and more, and our muscles start to work less and less. With current projections, the number of people over 65 by 2025 will exceed the number of people less than 15 years of age in human history. However, with aging and “extended life spans”, 92% of adults over 65 years of age have 1 or 2 chronic diseases. Many specialists point to the usual: hypertension, stroke, chronic heart disease, cancer, and so forth. One that is not mentioned often is sarcopenia. This is known as the age related wasting of muscle, the word comes from Greek meaning: “A poverty of flesh” it also means, “A Poverty of strength”.

After the age of 30, we lose 3-8% of muscle every decade. Even though we are apparently “living longer,” we are more sick than ever before. What is the prevalence of sarcopenia? It’s about 20% prevalence. Of people over 85, over half experience sarcopenia. This leads to imbalance, stability, and ultimately, hip fractures and other debilitating injuries.

Why is strength important?

The strongest herd of the population has half the death rate of those that are the weakest (Dr. Brendan Egan at TEDxUCD). If you take people who are making 10,000 steps and you reduce their activity, make them take escalators, elevators, and more, perhaps reducing their steps down to 2,000. They lose about 5% of their muscle mass in a space of 14 days. Now compare that to the statistic earlier (3-8% muscle mass loss every decade). Normally, that would take a decade to lose, but due to modern inactivity, we HAVE to be more mobile, more active, and build more muscle. Functional muscle that adapts to real-world imposed demands.

Just purely walking alone is not enough (however, we show you how to build muscle on your walks ;). If an adult is old, if we exercise them properly, can they make improvements? Yes, easily, thus reversing the aging process. Dr. Brendan took young college age males (obese and overweight), trained them 3 days a week with bodyweight exercises, after 6 weeks he saw about a 3% improvement in muscle mass, particularly in the legs. Older adults (55-63) also showed a 3% improvement in muscle mass. In the case of sarcopenia (muscle wasting) you don’t just wake up and it happens, this occurs over a long period of time. The goal should be to maintain muscle mass and slowly improve it, rather than always having to start over and build

Let’s begin with the plethora of benefits that building muscle offers to all human beings alike:

1. Improved Insulin Sensitivity: Skeletal muscle plays a crucial role in glucose uptake and storage. Enhanced muscle mass improves insulin sensitivity, reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes. A study by Kahn et al. (2006) found that increased overall muscle size correlates with better glycemic control and lower fasting insulin levels. Resistance training has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity significantly, particularly in individuals with prediabetes or metabolic syndrome (Kelley et al., 2002).
2. Bone Health: Muscular Strength is intrinsically linked to bone density. Mechanical loading from muscle contractions stimulates bone remodeling and increases mineral density (Frost, 1997). A meta-analysis conducted by Zhao et al. (2015) suggests that resistance training can enhance bone mineral density in postmenopausal women, reducing the risk of osteoporosis and fractures.
3. Enhanced Metabolic Rate: Muscle tissue is metabolically active, consuming energy even at rest. Research indicates that for every pound of muscle gained, the body burns approximately 6-10 calories per day more than it would at a lower muscle mass (Harris & Benedict, 1919). This increase in resting metabolic rate (RMR) can greatly contribute to weight management and obesity prevention.
4. Cardiovascular Health: Most individuals may assume that aerobic activities are the only way to improve heart health. However, research suggests that strength/resistance training also contributes positively to cardiovascular health. A Systematic review by Cornelissen & Smart (2013) demonstrated that resistance training leads to reductions in blood pressure, improved lipid profiles, and enhanced cardiovascular fitness, all of which are essential for maintaining heart health.

Psychological Benefits of Muscle Building

1. Enhanced Mood & Reduced Anxiety: Resistance training has been proven to have a positive impact on mental health. A study conducted by O’Connor et al. (2000) found that individuals who engaged in regular resistance exercise reported lower levels of depression and anxiety. This effect may be attributed to the release of endorphins and the reduction of stress hormones such as cortisol during and after exercise.
2. Improved Cognitive Function: New research has shown that increased muscle mass may be associated with enhanced cognitive function. Despite all the stereotypical references people use such as “meat heads”, a study by McAuley et al. (2011) indicated that older adults with higher levels of muscular strength performed better on cognitive tests, suggesting that physical strength may contribute to cognitive resilience as individuals age.
3. Increased Confidence and Body Image: As individuals age, muscle size tends to decrease, a condition known as sarcopenia. According to a study by Cruz-Jentoft et al. (2010), sarcopenia can lead to frailty, functional decline, and increased risk of morbidity. Engaging in regular resistance training can mitigate the effects of aging on muscle mass and function. This in turn promotes a more graceful, healthier aging process and enhances your overall quality of life (Fiatarone et al., 1994).

Coming Soon:

1. Updated Free Recovery + Performance + Muscle (RPM) Guide
2. *NEW* RPM Paid Program
3. *NEW* Weekly Walking Workout Workshop (RPM)

If you want to chat with us on a phone call, let us know and we can guide you through the best process that we think best fits your needs and lifestyle alike. Click the link here to schedule a free consultation.

Thank you, and God bless,

Nick & Nathan (Mitigate Stress)

References

1. Cornelissen, V. A., & Smart, N. A. (2013). Exercise training for blood pressure: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of the American Heart Association, 2(1), e004473.
2. Cruz-Jentoft, A. J., Baeyens, J. P., Bauer, J. M., et al. (2010). Sarcopenia: European consensus on definition and diagnosis. Age and Ageing, 39(4),