This week I gave a nutrition and health seminar at my local library. I thought a lot about the information I discussed and the wheels continued turning this morning during my run.
If there’s one thing I wish I could share with everyone—the ultimate take-home message— it’s this:
Muscle is the secret weapon. We, as a society, are under-muscled and this is one important factor leading to the skyrocketing increases in metabolic disease.
Besides playing a role in injury prevention, improved performance and body composition goals, muscle is an endocrine organ system.
This means that it plays a vital role in the aging process, hormonal control and overall metabolism. The release of myokines by muscle tissue influences the metabolism in virtually ALL of our bodily organs.
As we age, even beginning in our 30s, we find:
•sarcopenia (muscle deterioration and loss due to aging)
•osteoporosis (bone deterioration and loss due to aging)
•insulin resistance (inability to utilize insulin and process carbohydrates efficiently)
•anabolic resistance (inability of muscles to appropriately utilize protein for repair/growth)
How do we combat all of this? It’s pretty simple. Lift heavy weights. Consume high-quality protein.
With a society so focused on cutting calories and losing weight, we have lost sight of the 30+ years of scientific knowledge that points to the fact that we are UNDER-MUSCLED.
Muscle mass equals longevity from the cellular level to the structural level.
Lifting weights is for everyone. Pass it on.