Muscles
Strong muscles are the basis for active movement and support our daily activities. To promote muscle health and support recovery after exercise, it is important to take specific measures. A sensible diet with foods rich in amino acids such as citrulline or L-carnitine and minerals such as magnesium can have a positive effect on muscle health and help to maintain an active lifestyle in the long term.
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Muscles: the powerhouses of our body
Have you ever wondered what keeps your body moving? What makes you able to stand up, walk or even just smile? The answer lies in a fascinating system that runs through every corner of your body: the muscular system.
If you want to learn more about your muscles and discover fascinating facts about important organs, you will find all the information you need here.
Simply explained: What is a muscle?
You can think of a muscle as a kind of biological motor. It is a contractile organ that can contract and relax. This ability enables us to move, stand upright and even breathe. Muscles respond to electrical impulses and convert them into mechanical work. They are true all-rounders in our body and ensure that we can actively move and interact in our environment.
The three muscle types: a perfect trio
Our body has three different types of muscles, each of which fulfills specific tasks.
Striated skeletal musculature
This makes the skeletal muscles the largest contractile organ in the human body. As the name suggests, the skeletal muscles are connected to our skeleton and enable us to do things like run, jump and wave. Every skeletal muscle is under our conscious control. However, we need tendons for our muscle power to be transferred to our skeleton. Every tendon plays a crucial role in the connection and cooperation between muscles and bones: they are attached at one end to the muscle and at the other to the bone, thereby ensuring the transmission of force.
Smooth muscle of the internal organs
We distinguish smooth muscle from skeletal muscle. Smooth muscle is found in the walls of hollow organs such as the intestines or blood vessels. It works automatically and cannot be controlled at will. To be more precise, it is controlled by the autonomic nervous system and adapts to the body's needs. Among other things, the smooth muscle of the internal organs ensures that our digestion works smoothly.
Heart muscles
As the name suggests, this special type of muscle forms your heart. It is also striated, but works involuntarily and rhythmically. The heart muscle tirelessly pumps blood throughout your body. It is unique in its ability to work for a lifetime without a break and to supply itself with energy.
How many muscles does the human body have?
It may be hard to believe, but the human body actually consists of around 656 muscles! These make up about 40% of the total body mass for men and about 32% for women. Each of the 656 muscles has a specific task and helps to ensure that your body functions smoothly.
From the tiny muscles in your inner ear to the large muscles in your legs, each one plays an important role in the complex machinery of our body.
How is a muscle structured?
Let's zoom into a muscle to take a closer look at the anatomy: the smallest functional unit of a muscle is the sarcomere. Many sarcomeres form a myofibril, and many myofibrils form a single muscle fiber or muscle cell. These combine into larger units that ultimately form the entire muscle.
The muscle fibers are surrounded by a layer of connective tissue called the endomysium. Several muscle fibers form a primary bundle, which is surrounded by the perimysium. A group of these primary bundles forms a secondary bundle. The entire muscle is enclosed in a muscle fascia called the epimysium.
This complex structure allows the muscle to develop strength while remaining flexible. The various layers of connective tissue ensure that the force is distributed evenly and that the muscle does not tear when it is under strain.
How do muscles work?
Every muscle movement begins with an electrical impulse. This impulse is transmitted from the brain via the nerves to the motor end plate of the muscle. There, the messenger substance acetylcholine is released, triggering an action potential in the muscle fiber.
As a result, the calcium concentration in the muscle fiber increases. This in turn causes the actin and myosin filaments to slide into each other: the muscle contracts. This process is called the sliding filament theory and is the reason why your muscles can move.
Muscle contraction is an energy-intensive process. The energy for this is supplied by the energy carrier ATP (adenosine triphosphate). Depending on the intensity and duration of the muscle work, various energy supply systems are activated, from rapid anaerobic energy production to long-term aerobic energy supply.
More than just movement: what other tasks do muscles fulfill?
Our muscles are true all-rounders. In addition to their obvious function of movement, they fulfill numerous other important tasks:
Heat production: Muscles generate heat when they work, thus helping to regulate body temperature. About 85% of body heat is generated by muscle activity.
Metabolism: Muscles are active metabolic organs. They produce so-called myokines, messenger substances that fulfill important functions in the body. Among other things, myokines influence fat and sugar metabolism and have anti-inflammatory properties.
Protection: Muscles protect internal organs and stabilize joints. They provide a kind of natural armor for our body.
Posture: Skeletal muscles enable us to stand upright. Without them, we would literally collapse in on ourselves.
Energy storage: Muscles store glycogen, a form of carbohydrate that can be quickly converted into energy.
Table of contents of particularly important muscles
Some muscles in our body deserve special attention. These include:
Latissimus dorsi: The latissimus dorsi (lat. for “large back muscle”) is the largest muscle in the human body. It covers a large part of your back and is important for arm movements and spinal stability.
Gluteus maximus: The gluteus maximus (large buttock muscle) is the largest muscle in terms of volume. It plays a crucial role in walking, running and climbing stairs.
Masseter: The masseter (jaw muscle) is the strongest muscle in relation to its size. It develops enormous power that allows you to crush hard food.
Sartorius muscle: The sartorius muscle (Musculus sartorius) is the longest muscle in the human body. It runs diagonally across the thigh and helps with flexion of the hip and knee joints.
Why muscle training is useful
Regular exercise is the key to healthy and strong muscles. Strength training can help you build muscle and improve your performance. But endurance training is also important because it promotes blood flow to the muscles and improves their efficiency.
However, there are a few things to keep in mind. For example, every muscle has an antagonist. So when you flex your biceps, your triceps automatically relax. That's why a balanced workout is important to avoid imbalances. If you exercise regularly, your body will automatically adapt to the demands through adaptive mechanisms. These mechanisms include:
Hypertrophy: The muscle fibers become thicker.
Neural adaptation: The control of the muscles by the nervous system improves.
Metabolic adaptation: The metabolism in the muscles becomes more efficient.
Hyperplasia: The number of muscle fibers increases. However, this point is scientifically controversial [1].
If you want, you can support muscle growth with substances like creatine. Incidentally, regular exercise not only boosts muscle growth but can also support the immune system.
Muscle diseases: when the powerhouse goes on strike
Unfortunately, muscles can also be affected by diseases. The most common muscle diseases include:
Muscular dystrophies: Inherited disorders that cause progressive muscle wasting [2]. The best known form is Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Myositis: Inflammatory diseases of the muscles. They can be caused by autoimmune reactions or infections [3].
Fibromyalgia: A chronic disease characterized by widespread muscle pain. The exact causes of fibromyalgia are not yet fully understood [4].
Myasthenia gravis: an autoimmune disease in which the transmission of nerve impulses to the muscles is disrupted [5].
Rhabdomyolysis: an acute breakdown of muscle fibers that can lead to severe complications [6].
If the symptoms persist, you should always consult a doctor to determine the cause and to start appropriate treatment as soon as possible.
Our muscles: a marvel of nature
From the smallest muscle fiber to the largest muscle: our body is a unique system of strength and movement. Our musculature not only allows us to move, but also contributes significantly to our health and well-being.
It is no wonder, then, that researchers are also keen to learn more and more about our muscles. Among other things, scientists are working on restoring damaged muscle tissue using stem cell therapies or tissue engineering. This could give new hope in the future to patients with severe muscle injuries or degenerative muscle diseases [7].
Research is also currently being conducted into the development of exoskeletons and prostheses that are directly connected to the muscles and nervous system. This could help people with paralysis or amputations to regain lost mobility [8]. Research into the molecular mechanisms of muscle contraction, on the other hand, could lead to new therapies for muscle diseases.
Whether you are a professional athlete or just want to get through your daily routine, you couldn't do it without your muscles. So take good care of them, challenge them regularly and enjoy the achievements your body is capable of. From now on, there's no more listlessness!
Sources:
[1] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8107539/
[2] https://hirnstiftung.org/alle-erkrankungen/muskeldystrophien/
[3] https://www.dgm.org/muskelerkrankungen/myositis
[4] https://vita-world24.de/blog/Fibromyalgie-Leben-mit-chronischen-Schmerzen?
[5] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15891271/
[6] https://flexikon.doccheck.com/de/Rhabdomyolyse
[7] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31042682/
[8] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34756339/