9 THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT MUSCLES

Our bodies have more than 600 muscles and targeting the right ones could make all the difference. The muscular system is what allows the body to move; small pleasures such as simply smiling, and walking require muscles.

Here are 9 facts might not know about your muscles:

1. Muscles contribute to 85% of your body heat

Eighty-five percent of the total heat produced inside the body is because of muscle movement. When it is cold, we shiver. The skin receptors send signals to the brain, which in turn causes muscles to contract involuntarily, thereby giving off enough heat to keep us warm.

2. It is easier to build muscle than lose it

Supposedly you fell off the wagon; you are only likely to lose half of your muscle bulk. This is because it takes twice as long to lose new muscle as it takes to build it.

3. Muscle grows during restorative rest and sleep

All the hard work you put in while working out pays off after you hit the sheets. During deep and restorative stages of rest or sleep, muscles relax, and blood flow to the muscles is enhanced. Hormones that increase muscle development are released, causing muscle tissue to repair and grow.

4. Building muscle protects your bones

Lifting heavy weights builds muscle strength, size, and bone density. Thick bones help you carry heavy loads. Muscle builds bone density keeps your bones from fracturing when pressure is exerted on them.

5. Muscles burn more calories than fat

The number of calories you burn every day without doing any exercise is linked to your body composition. Muscle is metabolically active while fat is not. Therefore, muscle burns more calories than fat – even when you are at rest. LA Times reported that one pound of muscle burns six calories in a day while the body is resting. A pound of fat, on the other hand, burned only two calories in a day.

6. There isn’t one strongest muscle in your body

There are many ways to measure the strength of any muscle. The tongue, for example, has been said to be the strongest muscle due to its forcefulness and elasticity. The gluteus maximus, on the other hand, is the biggest muscle in the body. The muscle that exerts the most pressure is the jaw muscle, and the calf muscle exerts the most force. All muscles have different measurements of strength.

7. Muscles can only pull not push

Muscles can only pull. When we perceive the body is pushing, it is simply because another muscle is pulling. This is also because all muscles work in pairs; as one shortens, the other lengthens.

8. Muscle fibers are the same in each person

Regardless of the muscle tone and tissue built, we all have the same muscle fibers. The only difference is the extent of expansion of muscle tissue due to exercise. Working out tears down muscles and allows them to get thicker, causing them to get bigger.

9. Muscle contributes to 35%-40% of our total body weight.

Muscles are arguably the densest matter in our bodies. Muscles weigh more than fat. This explains why as we begin to work out we first lose weight then start to gain weight later.

Muscle structure not only allows you to build strength, but it is also vital in your everyday survival, helping you to swallow, breath and move.