Benefits Of Building Muscle

Building muscle has several important health benefits other than
looking good at the beach.

Muscular fitness can be defined as the strength, muscular
endurance, and flexibility that are needed to carry out daily
tasks and avoid injury.

How you attain a certain degree of muscular development is
dependent upon a number of factors. One thing is clear, however:
a program that incorporates weight lifting along with
weight-bearing aerobic activity is essential.

Creatine and all the supplements in the world will make very
little difference in terms of building muscle if resistance
training is not included.

Even if you decide you don’t need muscle building for injury
prevention, performance, or even bodybuilding, you should still
consider a minimum program throughout your life. A minimum
program of muscle maintenance will go a long way in the
prevention of lower back and posture-related problems.

In addition, research shows that a muscle-building program can
help avoid the progressive decrease in the density of bones
commonly known as osteoporosis.

Aging and muscle loss

Muscle loss can result from the combined effects of many
age-related changes. Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) is a
growth hormone responsible for cell growth, maintenance, and
repair in a variety of different tissues including muscle, GI
(gastrointestinal) tract, and skin.

Reduced IGF-1 signaling is implicated in muscle atrophy
resulting from reduced growth hormone and treatment with drugs
such as corticosteroids, dexamethasone, and cyclosporin.

Under-nutrition resulting in a lack of vitamin D and physical
inactivity are also factors in age-related muscle loss. In
addition, elevated levels of inflammatory cytokines like
TNF-alpha and IL-6 can cause muscle wasting (cachexia), although
this is usually associated with disease. TNF-alpha may also act
(at least in part) by inhibiting IGF-I signaling.

In aging males, muscle loss can also be the result of the
down-regulation of the hypothalamic-anterior
pituitary-testicular axis.

As aging progresses, there are relative increases in body fat
and decreases in muscle mass. The increase in adipose tissue is
connected to an increase in the enzyme aromatize which converts
testosterone to estradiol and leads to diminished testosterone
levels and the deposition of visceral fat.

As the total body fat mass increases, hormone resistance for
insulin ultimately develops. For women, it is now well
established that the decline in testosterone and the adrenal
preandrogens also plays a significant role in affecting
perimenopausal and menopausal symptomatology and quality of
life. Loss of circulating levels of androgens affects libido,
vasomotor symptoms, mood and well being, bone structure, and
muscle mass.

Losing fat while building muscle

Excess body fat accumulates via two distinct mechanisms. People
either form more adipocytes (fat cells) and/or existing
adipocytes absorb too much fat-glucose and become larger. The
effect of too many adipocytes and/or bloated adipocytes is the
unsightly and unhealthy amassing of body fat.

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) has been shown to decrease the
volume of adipocytes and thus reduce body fat. However, many
overweight people have too many adipocytes. These people need
more than CLA to achieve effective weight control.

In weight-loss studies, CLA consistently shows an ability to
reduce body fat while maintaining lean muscle mass. A study in
the August 2001 issue of the International Journal of Obesity
and Related Metabolic Disorders concluded that conjugated
linoleic acid (CLA) reduces abdominal fat among men classified
as abdominally obese.

The study participants taking CLA lost an average of 1.4 cm in
waist circumference after only 4 weeks. This double blind,
randomized, placebo-controlled trial observed 25 men with
significant abdominal fat for 4 weeks.

Some participants (14) received 4.2 grams of CLA per day, while
the others received placebo. At the conclusion of the study,
there was a significant decrease of abdominal diameter among the
CLA group. None of the study participants changed their eating
or exercise habits during the trial period.

Results of this study support data in the December 2000 issue of
the Journal of Nutrition. That study concluded that CLA reduced
body fat and preserved muscle mass among the 60-person study
group. Participants lost an average of 6 lbs while taking CLA.

The key to successful muscle building is to combine resistance
training with proper nutrition and effective supplements so that
an optimal anabolic environment is created.

So, as it is shown, not only does building muscle make us look
better and also feel better, but also and most important
building muscle can help and make us live healthier and longer.
Everybody should use some form of weight training so they can
enjoy some of the benefits of building muscle.

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