Muscle and Metabolism: The Power of Skeletal Muscle Mass

In last week's "Decoding Metabolism" blog, we unpacked the fundamental aspects of metabolism, demystifying a term we often encounter yet seldom grasp in its entirety. This week, we're going to dive even deeper. While we touched upon the basics of metabolism and its pivotal relationship with muscle mass, it’s time to delve into the nuances of how our Skeletal Muscle Mass (SMM) functions as a cornerstone in this vast metabolic landscape. Let’s explore this intricate dance between muscle and metabolism.

When we talk about adding lean tissue or SMM to our frame, it's not just about the aesthetic appeal of looking toned or fit (though who doesn’t want that!?). With more SMM, we're introducing a greater number of metabolically active cells into our body. And these cells? They're busy using energy, producing enzymes, generating heat, and participating in a myriad of biochemical processes non-stop. Simply put, the more SMM you have, the more cellular activity, leading to a heightened metabolism. Let's explore this intricate relationship further.

Resistance Training: The Key to Boosting SMM:

The Science of Muscle Building:

When you engage in resistance training, a fascinating biological process unfolds. The act of lifting weights or exerting force against resistance causes microscopic damage to muscle fibers. This might sound alarming, but it's a natural and essential part of muscle growth. These small injuries trigger satellite cells (found on the muscle fiber) to spring into action, aiding the damaged fibers and fusing to them, which leads to an increase in muscle protein synthesis. This process results in muscle hypertrophy, or the growth of muscle size.

Furthermore, as muscles grow, there's an increase in the number of mitochondria, the cell's energy factories. More mitochondria mean more energy expenditure even when you're resting.

Benefits of Resistance Training:

Resistance training offers a plethora of benefits beyond just muscle growth. These include:

Bone Health: Resistance training promotes bone density, reducing the risk of osteoporosis.

Improved Functional Abilities: A stronger body can perform everyday tasks more efficiently, from lifting groceries to climbing stairs.

Better Hormonal Profile: Regular resistance training can lead to beneficial hormonal changes, including the release of growth hormone and testosterone, both crucial for muscle growth and repair.

Enhanced Cognitive Function: Believe it or not, resistance training has been linked to improved brain health and reduced risk of degenerative diseases.

Protection Against Chronic Diseases: Regular resistance training can help combat the onset of diseases like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and possibly, even some types of cancer.

Consistency is Crucial:

To reap the full spectrum of benefits, one cannot merely dip your toes in the resistance training waters. A consistent and dedicated approach that has progressive overload at it’s core is imperative. This doesn't mean pushing to failure every single day, but it does mean committing to a structured program and progressively challenging the body to adapt and grow. I believe the minimum effective dose for resistance training is 3 days per week.

Understanding Progressive Overload:

Progressive overload is the science and art of pushing our bodies to adapt. If increasing metabolism is our goal, the primary adaptation we're aiming for is an increase in lean mass. As highlighted earlier, more lean mass enhances your body's metabolic efficiency. When paired with a proper nutrition plan, this means more fat gets utilized for fuel. So, progressive overload isn't just about throwing around heavier weights or adding reps (although these can be great tools for the job)—it’s about exposing the system to greater stressors, incrementally over time.

There's a wealth of science, sprinkled with a touch of art, in devising a program that truly encapsulates all the nuances of progressive overload. Add too much weight or volume, and you risk compromising technique or tempo. This not only increases the risk of injury but also can lead to missing the boat on your desired adaptation. Great coaches and programs strike a delicate balance: crafting routines that create the right level of stimulus for change, without overdoing it to the point of injury or chronic fatigue. True mastery of progressive overload is found not just in understanding its principles, but in carefully tailoring its application. Consider these strategies for effective progressive overload:

Increasing Weight: Lift more than you did before. If you were bench pressing 50kg, nudge it up to 52.5kg or 55kg over time.

Increasing Repetitions: If you managed eight reps last week, shoot for nine or ten this week.

Increasing Sets: Bolster your routine with an additional set, increasing the total workout volume.

Decreasing Rest Intervals: Trim down the rest between sets to escalate the session's intensity. But here's the kicker: rest too little, and you risk undercutting your ability to lift the necessary weight or achieve the reps essential for progress.

Varying Exercises: Periodically introducing new exercises can keep your workouts fresh and engaging, ensuring muscles are continually challenged in diverse ways.. However, tread with caution here. If you switch up exercises too frequently, you might shortchange yourself on the full progression you could achieve with consistent practice of a particular move.

Manipulating Tempo: Changing the speed of your repetitions, like slowing down the eccentric (lowering) phase or adding an isometric hold at the most stretched position, can intensify the exercise. This nuanced approach alters the tension and duration of the stress that muscles experience, potentially eliciting a greater adaptive response.

Adjusting Range of Motion: By either increasing (going deeper in a squat) or decreasing (partial reps) the motion range, you challenge your muscles in novel ways. This can be particularly useful to break through sticking points or work around injuries.

Remember, the essence of progressive overload lies in its name—progressive. Consistent, small advancements over weeks and months culminate in significant muscle growth, strength gains, and an enhanced metabolic efficiency.

Healthspan and Longevity:

Longevity and health span remain incomplete without acknowledging SMM's pivotal role. Beyond mere muscular definition or brute strength, it’s about the cellular dynamism propelling our metabolism. Age inevitably chips away at our SMM. But with consistent resistance training and progressive overload, we can not only arrest this decline but also build a robust lean mass reservoir. Consider this: A 5% annual SMM decline post the age of 65 has a vastly different trajectory for someone with 130lbs of lean mass versus someone starting at 50lbs of lean mass. Here’s an analogy I tell my clients: Think of SMM as a savings account in a bank. The more you deposit early on (by building muscle), the more you'll have to withdraw later in life, even as age starts to make regular “withdrawals.” If your health goals sidestep SMM, you're bypassing a monumental opportunity. It's not solely about the visual appeal; it's about enhancing our metabolic efficiency to optimize both our healthspan and functional capacity throughout life.

A Glimpse into Next Week:

But there's another player on the field, intricately linked to the dance of SMM and metabolism: protein. Our muscles aren't built on resistance training alone. The building blocks of our muscle fibers, proteins play a critical role in muscle repair, growth, and ultimately, metabolic regulation. Next week, we'll delve deep into the science of protein, its indispensability for SMM, and how it interplays with our metabolism. Trust me, you won’t want to miss this next piece of the puzzle – it’s the nutritional powerhouse that backs up all our physical endeavors!

Until next time,

-Louro Training

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