Did you know that healthy muscle mass is not solely about strength? The health benefits go way beyond that. Good muscle mass can also aid in recovery from illness and help you improve your health and overall well-being.
It can help lower the risk of chronic diseases, provide better metabolic health, strong bones, and a longer life span. Let us take a look at some of the ways healthy muscle mass can improve health.
Improving Immune System
Your muscles store amino acids that the body uses when you fall ill or are injured. If you have good muscle mass, your body can more easily fight infections and recover from injuries. Muscles also produce compounds that are essential in creating and distributing immune cells.
If you work on building your muscles through exercise, you also benefit from its anti-inflammatory effects. Regular exercise improves immune regulation. Muscle building increases blood flow, allowing immune cells to circulate better throughout the body to fight infections. Exercise also improves the function of the lymphatic system, which gets rid of waste and toxins in the body.
Regulating Blood Sugar Levels
The brain and body use glucose from the blood to satisfy energy demands. However, persistently high blood sugar can lead to diabetes and other complications. The hormone insulin regulates the levels of blood glucose, causing muscles to uptake the excess glucose from the blood.
If your muscle cells become insulin-resistant, insulin can no longer stimulate the muscle cells to clear your blood glucose. When this happens the body produces more and more insulin to achieve the same degree of effect it previously did.
It can get to the point that the body can no longer produce enough insulin to make the muscle cells respond as they should, so blood sugar remains persistently and dangerously high, ultimately leading to type 2 diabetes.
Good muscle mass means better muscle metabolism that can help moderate the increases in sugar levels and prevent related diseases.
Supporting Bone Health
Muscles also support bone health, making them stronger and dense. When the muscles contract and grow stronger from exercise, there is more mechanical pull on the bones that strengthen them and increase their density.
Alternatively, if you do not exercise, the muscle weakens, and the mechanical force on the bones also decreases. You end up losing muscle mass and weakening your bones.
There is a correlation between muscle mass and bone mineral content and density. Keeping your bones healthy and strong depends on maintaining good muscle mass and function, especially as you grow or age. It also plays a key role in preventing osteoporosis.
Fighting Chronic Diseases
The skeletal muscles play a big role in many body functions, from providing you strength and endurance to maintaining whole-body metabolic health. That is why it is so important to stay physically active.
A lack of exercise and other physical activities can cause insulin resistance and muscle loss, both of which can increase obesity and related problems. All these factors can cause or contribute to the development and worsening of chronic diseases. Healthy muscle mass and regular physical activities can prevent their development and progression.
Increasing Lifespan
Increasing muscle mass can also help increase your survival rate, especially if you suffer from chronic conditions. The benefits of maintenance of muscle mass have been well-documented for improving health and longevity.
Final Thoughts
Muscle mass aids in recovery from illnesses and improves health. It is crucial to recognize the importance of maintaining your muscle mass, regardless of age. If you are approaching your senior years, it is even more important! While it is normal for you to lose some muscle mass as you age, you can prevent an accelerated rate of muscle loss when you take proper care of your body.
Strive to be physically active. Strength training, combined with aerobic exercise, is important for building your muscles and keeping your bones strong. Of course, you also have to eat a healthy diet and make sure that you have adequate protein intake, along with essential vitamins and minerals.
These actions and behaviors allow the muscles to perform their designated functions throughout the body, as well as preventing the development and progression of infections and many illnesses.
