The benefits of exercise have been known for decades, but the obsession with using exercise as a weight loss tool has made us forget about (arguably) the most important exercise benefit of all… It builds muscle mass.
I’m not even joking. Muscle mass isn’t for looking good - it’s literally an organ. It’s a living tissue and enables us to deal with a wide range of conditions. More muscle mass makes us more insulin sensitive, which helps to prevent us from developing type 2 diabetes. It helps us to maintain strength, balance and mobility in later life. It also keeps us alive for longer.
The fitness world is full of exaggerated claims, but the muscle being medicine isn’t one. It’s based in fact.
Muscle is medicine - the evidence base
In a 2018 study examining ‘the association of predicted lean body mass, fat mass, and body mass index (BMI) with all cause and cause specific mortality in men’, over 38,000 men aged between 40 and 75 were assessed for 21.4 years. There were 12 356 deaths during the 21 years. The results showed a couple of particularly interesting results…
Excessive (over 21kg) fat mass increased the risk of death. This isn’t a surprise - the link between obesity and mortality is long established.
A lack of lean muscle mass was a large risk factor for all cause mortality.
This is huge… whilst it doesn’t exactly give the green light for a lot of fat gain, it does teach us that we could be prioritising muscle gain (and maintenance) over constantly striving to be leaner. Especially as we age. Of course if you’re obese then weight loss should be a priority, but for people who are slightly overweight, muscle mass is more protective for health and longevity than getting leaner would be.
Muscle mass and cancer survivability
Another study compares the survival rates against cancer with different levels of muscle mass…
A Chinese study from 2022 compared the survival rates of patients with gastric (stomach) cancer. In the study, the participants were split into groups, some of the patients had low levels of skeletal muscle mass and the others had normal levels of muscle mass.
The conclusions were that low levels of skeletal muscle mass predicts a poor prognosis for patients with advanced gastric cancer, and this is not associated with postoperative complications.
Debunking the muscle mass myths…
One of the concerns a lot of people (women in particular) have is that they’ll start lifting weights, then immediately inflate. They think they’ll pile on muscle mass and look like the Incredible Hulk.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Women don’t have enough of the necessary anabolic hormones such as testosterone. They can increase muscle mass, but it takes a very long time and requires a lot of eating to gain anywhere near the amount of muscle they’d need to look ‘bulky’! The reality of what happens is the muscle they do have becomes stronger, more conditioned and healthier.
A woman could gain 5-10 lbs of lean body weight and look significantly smaller. Gaining muscle doesn't mean gaining size - it’s important to remember this.
It’s easier for men to gain muscle, but it’s still not easy. It takes a huge amount of effort, but it’s one of the most important things you can do for your health. You’ll age better, you’ll metabolise food better and you’ll improve your general wellbeing.
Struggling with where to start? Speak to the AdMac Fitness team…
The muscle maze can be a confusing one to navigate on your own, so take the guesswork out of the process by working with one of our AdMac Fitness personal trainers. They’re experts in helping people from all walks of life add muscle and dramatically change their health and fitness.
We have a long list of client success stories, so get in touch and we can make you our next success story!
For more information on who we are, what we do and how we can help you achieve your health and fitness goals, contact us on… 07921465108 or email us at admacfitness@gmail.com. We look forward to hearing from you!
Our locations are…
AdMac Fitness Bow: 153-159 Bow Rd, London E3 2SE
AdMac Fitness South Woodford: Unit 4 Marlborough Business Centre, 96 George Lane, South Woodford, London, E18 1AD