Muscles not only look incredibly good, they also perform important bodily functions and increase your well-being. Find out what you should know about muscle mass and how to get more information here.
Muscle mass is the percentage of pure musculature in the total body weight. The size or the proportion of muscle mass in the body depends on many different factors such as age, sex, diet, training condition and genetics. In a normal-weight man in his mid-twenties, muscle mass accounts for about 44% of body weight. In a woman of the same age, the proportion is only about 37%. During this period, human muscle mass usually reaches its maximum, but you can maintain or even improve your physical activity as you get older. When we talk about muscle mass, we usually only mean the skeletal muscles. Your internal organs and of course your heart also have muscles, which is called smooth musculature or myocardium.
That muscles look beautiful is undisputed for many people, but your muscles also affect your health. Regular sports activities that promote muscle building are therefore recommended even if you do not have any visual requirements. I would like to briefly describe some health benefits to you.
The muscles are an endocrine organ, which means that the muscles produce hormones and pass them on to the bloodstream. One of these hormones whose secretion is increased by increased muscle mass is testosterone. Testosterone is the male sex hormone and is responsible for sex drive and potency in men, but it also performs important bodily functions in women. Testosterone thus also has gender-unspecific functions and increases general performance. The extensive study of the Institute for Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine of the University of Greifswald even came to the conclusion that men die earlier with a low concentration of the sex hormone. Low testosterone levels are associated with high blood pressure and diabetes.
In addition to an improvement of the testosterone level, there is an increase in insulin sensitivity through physical activity and above all muscle building training. Insulin is a hormone that is released so that the nutrients and energy suppliers absorbed through food reach the muscles and organs. The functions of insulin are an extensive topic and it would lead too far to go deeper at this point, but you can remember the following: A low insulin sensitivity is strongly related to diseases such as diabetes but also other common diseases such as heart attack or high blood pressure.
Increased muscle activity also leads to the release of various messenger substances such as interleukin 6 (IL-6). This has an anti-inflammatory effect and thus supports the immune system.
In general, the build-up of muscle mass contributes to a better metabolism and also prevents the reduction of body fat. This means that muscles burn more calories, even if you are not exercising. Even with 3kg less muscle mass, the basal metabolic rate is reduced by about 100 calories. Especially with increasing age, when the muscle mass decreases, the increase of fat increases. Even if the muscle mass decreases with age, it can be regulated very well with some training. With regular strength training, the proportion of muscle mass can be maintained into old age.
A further advantage is the reduction of stress, which is especially connected to the training itself. During and after the training, endorphins are released which brighten the mood and help us to relax. Our brain activity also changes during the training so that our focus shifts and negative thoughts and worries move into the background.
Finally, training for increased musculature also increases bone density and strengthens tendons and joints. So if you moderate your workout, strength training can keep your joints and tendons healthy and strong for longer.
The build-up of muscle mass depends largely on three different factors. Training, sleep and nutrition.
The training which aims especially at the increase of muscle mass is called hypertrophy training in sports science. As a general guideline it can be said that hypertrophy training is performed in a repetition range of 6-12 at about 65-85% of the 1RM. As a rule, between 3 and 5 sets are completed with a break time of between 90 and 120 seconds. It is important that to increase the muscle mass not only repetition number and weight play a role, but also other factors such as the time under tension.
Below is an example of a training session from hypertrophy training:
Bench press 3 x 10 reps.
Flys 3 x 10 reps.
Dips 3 x reps.
Triceps 3 x 10 reps.
Breaks: 120 seconds
Here you can see a training session for the muscles chest / triceps. When training for muscle building, you can focus on specific muscle groups per session. This division is also called split. In principle, a full body workout is also possible, as long as you give your body enough time to recover until the next workout. Altogether many different factors like the training volume, the intensity as well as the breaks and regeneration play a decisive role in your training success.
On training days in particular, enough sleep is particularly important as the body releases growth hormones overnight. Even if many people think they can get away with very little sleep, research repeatedly confirms that a minimum of 7-8 hours of sleep per night is essential if effective recovery and performance are to be achieved. Nutrition can also be a limiting factor when it comes to building muscle. It is essential to ensure that there is sufficient calorie intake so that the body has enough energy to build muscles and maintain them. A daily calorie surplus of 500kcal is a good guideline in phases of muscle building. The supply of sufficient protein is also important, as this ultimately provides the building blocks for muscle building. As a rough rule of thumb for your protein requirement you can choose 1.8-2.0g protein per kg/body weight per day.
Whether the muscle has grown is not always obvious at first glance. In order to make an objective statement, there are various tests such as the DEXA scan, the bioelectric impedance analysis (BIA), the BODPOD and the hydrostatic method. All these tests determine the components of your body and can therefore also make a statement about your muscle mass.
In order to document your development, tests must be carried out regularly. This can be very costly and time-consuming in the long run. If you only want to make a statement about changes, it is enough to measure your body size and weight.
The illustration on the right shows which body circumferences should increase during hypertrophy training. The 1 is measured with the arms hanging loosely down and gives information about the shoulder width. The 2 is measured at the level of the nipples (men). In women, the measuring tape runs under the arms, along the armpits. The circumference of number 3 is determined when the arm is completely bent. The middle of the thigh is the measuring position of number 4. In the upper third, at the thickest point of the calf muscles of the lower leg, number 5 is measured. It is important to always measure at the same point in order to be able to make a reliable statement about the course of development.
I hope it has become clear that your muscles are not just there to impress members of the opposite sex. Muscles form a large part of your body mass and can have a positive influence on your hormone balance and metabolism through proper training. Women shouldn't be afraid to do strength training from time to time to benefit from the numerous advantages.
Marc graduated from the DSHS Cologne and the KIT with a master's degree in sports science. His personal trainer background and more than 14 years of training experience contribute to his expertise.
