Muscle Building Information

What Causes Muscle Growth?


In order for muscles to grow, three things are required:

1. Stimulus - exercise is needed to make the muscles work, use energy and cause microscopic damage to the fibers.

2. Nutrition - after intense exercise the muscles need to replenish their stores of fuel.

3. Rest - it is during the rest or recovery phase that the muscles repair the microscopic damage and grow.

Muscle size increases due to hypertrophic adaptation and an increase in the cross section area of individual muscle fibers. Intensive exercise impacts more on the strength influencing fast twitch type II fibers, therefore the increase in muscle size is accompanied by greater strength.

This will deplete the muscle's energy stores and cause microscopic damage to the muscle tissue. During recovery, these stores of glycogen and phosphocreatine will replenish from carbohydrates and creatine ingested as food or supplements. Amino acids supplied in the diet will trigger the protein synthesis that repairs the damaged muscle and lead to the creation of bigger muscle fibers.

To achieve continuous improvement you will need to keep reaching for higher levels of training intensity otherwise the improvement process will grind to a halt. Fortunately, this is relatively easy to plan for provided certain basic principles and rules are clearly followed. Subsequent articles in this series will examine these principles in detail.

In the meantime you can find out more about building muscle by visiting the site listed below.

Richard Mitchell is the creator of the bodybuildingadvisor.com website that provides guidance and information to athletes at all levels of bodybuilding experience. Go to Bodybuilding Advice to learn more about the issues covered in this article.


MORE RESOURCES:

Examiner.com

Can I build muscle and keep my six pack??
Examiner.com - Jul 1, 2008
Yes, you can keep your six pack and build muscle. However, it is extremely difficult and you almost need to hire a nutritionist to do it. ...


Second day equals time to make a first impression
MLive.com, MI - 13 minutes ago
... half or quarter speed showed that Storm's trying to get the players working their grey matter as the drills build "muscle memory" in their cerebellums. ...


News & Observer

Build muscle with exercise
News & Observer, NC - Jun 18, 2008
If you want to build muscle, work your muscles -- and eat a well-balanced diet. By Suzanne Havala Hobbs, CorrespondentComment on this story What's the best ...


The gentler ways to exercise
Times of India, India - 1 hour ago
For example, the gentle art of tai chi exercise not only can help build muscle, but it has been shown to help reduce arthritis symptoms and improve your ...


Myostatin Inhibitors May Improve Recovery Of Wartime Limb Injuries
Science Daily (press release) - 12 hours ago
Although there is no FDA-approved myostatin inhibitor, body builders often take supplements that claim to reduce myostatin function and help build muscle. ...


Bicycle riding nutrition: losing that last 20 pounds.
VeloNews, CO - 11 hours ago
You can build muscle at virtually any age, and boost your resting metabolic rate. If your main exercise focus is cycling, it is also beneficial to do some ...


Questions about excercise and working out
WZZM, MI - 14 hours ago
11:57 AM Jul 8, 2008 I've heard it's important to eat something high in protein after a workout to help build muscle. Do you agree? 12:30 PM Jul 8, ...


YMCA Helps Cancer Survivors Living With, Through, and Beyond Cancer
Eastside Business Journal, Washington - 16 hours ago
Through Exercise and Thrive, survivors build muscle mass and strength, increase flexibility and endurance, and improve their capacity to perform activities ...


What kind of punch does protein pack?
South Bend Tribune, IN - 15 hours ago
Often you hear of an athlete who consumes large quantities of protein daily in order to build muscle mass. Here's a quiz to find out how much you know about ...


Batman credits drinking milk to help retain his super strength
Munster Times, IN - Jul 7, 2008
And its protein can help build muscle. So train hard and drink low-fat or fat free milk, because the Batmobile isn't the only thing that needs to refuel. ...

Build-Muscle - Google News

home | site map
© 2006