Resistance exercises can help you build muscle.
Image Credit: Thomas Barwick/DigitalVision/GettyImages The market for protein supplements continues to grow, but these products cause side effects in about 20 percent of users. Fortunately, mechanical devices, resistance exercises and other dietary aids give you equally effective and safe ways to build muscle. In addition, MyPlate Calorie Counter provides daily calorie and macro goals for your fitness journey making it easy to track your progress. Using these methods will allow you to easily gain muscle mass in a few weeks.
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Read more: Bad Long-term Effects of Protein Shakes
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About Muscle Loss
People take their muscles for granted. Doctors also neglect muscles. No medical specialty claims muscle as their target organ. Yet, an active lifestyle requires them to be healthy. The passage of time gradually breaks down muscle tissue. Doctors refer to this process as sarcopenia, and it affects every middle-aged person. The development of illness and disease also tears down your muscles. This process is known as cachexia, and may affect patients with arthritis, diabetes and cancer.
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It's difficult to prevent disease and aging, but you can prevent the main cause of muscle loss — inactivity. A sedentary lifestyle will cause atrophy in a few months, and a hospital stay will cause it in a few days.
Being inactive alters the basic processes of your body. For example, inactivity decreases muscle proteins like optic protein 1, OPA1. Animals lacking OPA1 age rapidly and die young. Sedentarism decreases OPA1 causing a metabolic alteration. That change increases your risk for chronic conditions like diabetes and obesity.
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Read more: This Is What Happens to Your Body When You're Sedentary for Two Weeks
Treatments, Benefits and Risks
Aerobic exercises prevent the decreases in OPA1 caused by sedentarism and aging and help prevent muscle loss. Resistance exercises, mechanical devices and dietary aids have a similar effect. Most important, these treatments foster gaining muscle without protein shakes.
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Gaining muscle mass does more than fight disease and aging. It offers you many advantages. For example, it's often associated with increases in strength and decreases in body fat. It can also lower your blood sugar.
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Scientists still don't know the mechanisms underlying these effects. However, resistance exercise may increase antioxidants and decrease inflammation as well as enhance muscle mass. Using these treatments may allow you to live longer, according to a 2016 report in Rejuvenation Research.
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Because all treatments have a certain level of risk associated with them, it's important not to self-diagnose or pursue treatments without help. Working closely with a health-care expert will help prevent mistakes and decrease your risk. Being honest and open about your limits and goals will help as well. Strive to find a treatment that's right for you.
Work Out With Weights
Resistance exercises such as weightlifting offer you the easiest path to muscle mass. These exercises are effective and safe. It’s important, however, to work with a trainer or coach who can not only teach proper technique, but also possibly catch an undiagnosed condition and refer you to a physician.
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It's also important to eat breakfast before exercising. A 2019 report in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research showed that skipping breakfast had a negative impact on weightlifting performance. The authors recommended eating high-carbohydrate meals to make sure you get the most out of your workout.
Read more: Are Resistance Bands Better Than Weights?
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Build Muscle With Sports
Other types of exercise may help you build muscle as well. In addition to increasing fitness, sports offers you many psychosocial benefits, including unique feelings of solidarity and fidelity. These feelings motivate people to participate and thereby increase adherence. A 2014 article published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports looked at the impact of playing soccer on the muscle mass of homeless men.
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Participants played street soccer twice a week for 12 weeks. They had a 75-percent attendance rate. Compared to baseline, the recreational games caused a 1.6-percent increase in fat-free mass. It also increased their postural balance and bone density.
Read more: Importance of Practicing Sports
Modify Your Diet
Changing your diet nicely complements this exercise-related muscle building. For example, it’s important to get the right mix of carbohydrates, proteins and fats after workouts. These macronutrients play a critical role in the anabolic processes, or muscle building, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. It’s especially important to consume a mixed snack of protein and carbs within 30 minutes your workout for muscle building and recovery. A glass of chocolate milk fits the bill. Or, if you have the appetite, a yogurt or a turkey sandwich works too. Read more: Importance of Exercise & Eating Healthy
Look Into Supplements
Personal trainers know that amino acids like leucine can promote muscle growth. Leucine metabolites like alpha-hydroxy-isocaproic acid (HICA), may work through a different mechanism. These byproducts appear to prevent muscle decay. A 2019 article in Nutrition and Enhanced Sports Performance looked at the impact of HICA capsules on the athletic performance, body composition and muscle soreness of soccer players. Subjects took 1.5 grams of HICA each day for a month. Relative to their baseline, these supplements increased the lean body mass of the players. The changes mostly appeared in their lower-body muscles. The HICA capsules also decreased symptoms of delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS). The capsules didn’t alter athletic performance.
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Read more: 43 Supplements Exposed: Which Ones to Consider, Which Ones to Avoid
Try Combined Treatments
Amino acid supplements are particularly effective when combined with resistance exercises. This combination may allow you to keep muscle mass while losing body fat. A study in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition tested this hypothesis using healthy, younger men. These researchers put the men into one of two groups: those given amino acid supplements and those given carbohydrate drinks. Testing lasted for eight weeks. During that time, all subjects did resistance training while on a calorie-restricted diet. Both groups gained strength on the leg squat and lost body fat. Compared to the carbohydrate group, the amino acid group gained strength on the bench press and gained muscle mass. Read more: Advantages of Going to the Gym Every Day
Make Use of Mechanical Devices
Mechanical devices like vibration machines have become increasingly available in health clubs. These machines have many positive effects on your health. For example, a 2019 review in Supportive Care in Cancer showed that vibration therapy helps children with disabilities and cancer improve their physical fitness. The authors also concluded that the treatment is safe — even for this delicate group. These results suggest that whole-body vibration may let you build muscle without protein powder. Yet, researchers haven’t determined settings needed to see beneficial effects. A 2013 report in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research looked at the impact of high- and low-amplitude vibration training in healthy adults. Participants trained twice a week for six weeks. In each session, the subjects had to spend about 10 minutes on the vibrating platform. They stayed in a partial squat during this time. Compared to a control group, both high- and low-amplitude training increased muscle strength. However, only high-amplitude training increased muscle mass. Neither group lost body fat. The mechanisms behind these anabolic effects remain unclear. Like amino acid intake, vibration therapy likely promotes protein synthesis by increasing testosterone production and growth hormone levels. Read more: What Are the Benefits of Vibrational Massage?
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references
Journal of the American College of Nutrition: Protein Supplement Usage Among Male University Students
Virginia Tech University: Get the Facts - Protein Supplements
PM and R: Myofascial Trigger Points Then and Now
Frontiers in Physiology: Human Skeletal Muscle Disuse Atrophy: Effects on Muscle Protein Synthesis, Breakdown, and Insulin Resistance
Cell Metabolism: Age-Associated Loss of OPA1 in Muscle Impacts Muscle Mass, Metabolic Homeostasis, Systemic Inflammation, and Epithelial Senescence
Bioenergetics: Eight Human OPA1 Isoforms, Long and Short: What Are They For?
Experimental Gerontology: High-Intensity Body Weight Training Is Comparable to Combined Training in Changes in Muscle Mass, Physical Performance, Inflammatory Markers and Metabolic Health in Postmenopausal Women at High Risk for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle: Skeletal Muscle Wasting in Cachexia and Sarcopenia
Rejuvenation Research: NAD+ as the Link Between Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, Caloric Restriction, Exercise, DNA Repair, Longevity, and Health Span
NHS Foundation Trust: Medically Unexplained Symptoms (MUS) and Iatrogenesis
Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: Breakfast Omission Reduces Subsequent Resistance Exercise Performance
Cogent Business and Management: Solidarity and Camaraderie—A Psychosocial Examination of Contact Sport Athletes' Career Transitions
Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports: Street Football Is a Feasible Health-Enhancing Activity for Homeless Men
Nutrition and Enhanced Sports Performance: Alfa-Hydroxy-Isocaproic Acid—Effects on Body Composition, Muscle Soreness, and Athletic Performance
Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition: In a Single-Blind, Matched Group Design: Branched-Chain Amino Acid Supplementation and Resistance Training Maintains Lean Body Mass During a Caloric Restricted Diet
Support Care Cancer: Whole-Body Vibration in Children With Disabilities Demonstrates Therapeutic Potentials for Pediatric Cancer Populations
Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: Effects of Different Amplitudes (High vs. Low) of Whole-Body Vibration Training in Active Adults
Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism: Amino Acid Supplementation Increases Lean Body Mass, Basal Muscle Protein Synthesis, and Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I Expression in Older Women
Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: Vibration Training: Could It Enhance the Strength, Power, or Speed of Athletes?
PLoS One: Hormonal and Neuromuscular Responses to Mechanical Vibration Applied to Upper Extremity Muscles
Growth Factors: Can Whole Body Vibration Exercises Affect Growth Hormone Concentration?
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: 4 Keys to Strength Building and Muscle Mass
Colorado State University Extension: Nutrition for the Athlete
references
Journal of the American College of Nutrition: Protein Supplement Usage Among Male University Students
Virginia Tech University: Get the Facts - Protein Supplements
PM and R: Myofascial Trigger Points Then and Now
Frontiers in Physiology: Human Skeletal Muscle Disuse Atrophy: Effects on Muscle Protein Synthesis, Breakdown, and Insulin Resistance
Cell Metabolism: Age-Associated Loss of OPA1 in Muscle Impacts Muscle Mass, Metabolic Homeostasis, Systemic Inflammation, and Epithelial Senescence
Bioenergetics: Eight Human OPA1 Isoforms, Long and Short: What Are They For?
Experimental Gerontology: High-Intensity Body Weight Training Is Comparable to Combined Training in Changes in Muscle Mass, Physical Performance, Inflammatory Markers and Metabolic Health in Postmenopausal Women at High Risk for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle: Skeletal Muscle Wasting in Cachexia and Sarcopenia
Rejuvenation Research: NAD+ as the Link Between Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, Caloric Restriction, Exercise, DNA Repair, Longevity, and Health Span
NHS Foundation Trust: Medically Unexplained Symptoms (MUS) and Iatrogenesis
Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: Breakfast Omission Reduces Subsequent Resistance Exercise Performance
Cogent Business and Management: Solidarity and Camaraderie—A Psychosocial Examination of Contact Sport Athletes' Career Transitions
Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports: Street Football Is a Feasible Health-Enhancing Activity for Homeless Men
Nutrition and Enhanced Sports Performance: Alfa-Hydroxy-Isocaproic Acid—Effects on Body Composition, Muscle Soreness, and Athletic Performance
Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition: In a Single-Blind, Matched Group Design: Branched-Chain Amino Acid Supplementation and Resistance Training Maintains Lean Body Mass During a Caloric Restricted Diet
Support Care Cancer: Whole-Body Vibration in Children With Disabilities Demonstrates Therapeutic Potentials for Pediatric Cancer Populations
Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: Effects of Different Amplitudes (High vs. Low) of Whole-Body Vibration Training in Active Adults
Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism: Amino Acid Supplementation Increases Lean Body Mass, Basal Muscle Protein Synthesis, and Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I Expression in Older Women
Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: Vibration Training: Could It Enhance the Strength, Power, or Speed of Athletes?
PLoS One: Hormonal and Neuromuscular Responses to Mechanical Vibration Applied to Upper Extremity Muscles
Growth Factors: Can Whole Body Vibration Exercises Affect Growth Hormone Concentration?
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: 4 Keys to Strength Building and Muscle Mass
Colorado State University Extension: Nutrition for the Athlete
Resistance exercises can help you build muscle.
Image Credit: Thomas Barwick/DigitalVision/GettyImages
Image Credit: Thomas Barwick/DigitalVision/GettyImages
Journal of the American College of Nutrition: Protein Supplement Usage Among Male University Students
Virginia Tech University: Get the Facts - Protein Supplements
PM and R: Myofascial Trigger Points Then and Now
Frontiers in Physiology: Human Skeletal Muscle Disuse Atrophy: Effects on Muscle Protein Synthesis, Breakdown, and Insulin Resistance
Cell Metabolism: Age-Associated Loss of OPA1 in Muscle Impacts Muscle Mass, Metabolic Homeostasis, Systemic Inflammation, and Epithelial Senescence
Bioenergetics: Eight Human OPA1 Isoforms, Long and Short: What Are They For?
Experimental Gerontology: High-Intensity Body Weight Training Is Comparable to Combined Training in Changes in Muscle Mass, Physical Performance, Inflammatory Markers and Metabolic Health in Postmenopausal Women at High Risk for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle: Skeletal Muscle Wasting in Cachexia and Sarcopenia
Rejuvenation Research: NAD+ as the Link Between Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, Caloric Restriction, Exercise, DNA Repair, Longevity, and Health Span
NHS Foundation Trust: Medically Unexplained Symptoms (MUS) and Iatrogenesis
Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: Breakfast Omission Reduces Subsequent Resistance Exercise Performance
Cogent Business and Management: Solidarity and Camaraderie—A Psychosocial Examination of Contact Sport Athletes' Career Transitions
Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports: Street Football Is a Feasible Health-Enhancing Activity for Homeless Men
Nutrition and Enhanced Sports Performance: Alfa-Hydroxy-Isocaproic Acid—Effects on Body Composition, Muscle Soreness, and Athletic Performance
Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition: In a Single-Blind, Matched Group Design: Branched-Chain Amino Acid Supplementation and Resistance Training Maintains Lean Body Mass During a Caloric Restricted Diet
Support Care Cancer: Whole-Body Vibration in Children With Disabilities Demonstrates Therapeutic Potentials for Pediatric Cancer Populations
Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: Effects of Different Amplitudes (High vs. Low) of Whole-Body Vibration Training in Active Adults
Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism: Amino Acid Supplementation Increases Lean Body Mass, Basal Muscle Protein Synthesis, and Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I Expression in Older Women
Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: Vibration Training: Could It Enhance the Strength, Power, or Speed of Athletes?
PLoS One: Hormonal and Neuromuscular Responses to Mechanical Vibration Applied to Upper Extremity Muscles
Growth Factors: Can Whole Body Vibration Exercises Affect Growth Hormone Concentration?
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: 4 Keys to Strength Building and Muscle Mass
Colorado State University Extension: Nutrition for the Athlete
