In her book "An Invitation to Health," Dianne Hales says that water is needed more than anything else you consume, especially during exercise. Thirst is your body's way of telling you that you need water. Ignoring fluid needs can hinder your...
Whey protein is derived from milk, from which it's extracted during the process of turning milk to cheese. Whey comes in powder form and can be mixed in with any form of liquid and eaten regularly. The current U.S. recommended protein daily...
To sustain muscular strength over the course of extensive weight loss or other medical conditions, steroids are often used. However, steroids can have undesirable side effects, especially for women. As such, your best option for sustaining...
The amount of carbohydrates in your diet is important for determining if your muscle is preserved or degraded. High carb diets preserve the muscles better than low carb diets. Low carb diets can cause muscle breakdown , while high carb diets...
Exercise plays an integral role in maintaining and building both muscle and bone strength, as well as reducing your risks for painful bone and muscle related illnesses ranging from arthritis to osteoporosis. However, exercise in itself is not...
It's certainly no secret that pumping iron in the gym over an extended period of time will make you bigger and stronger. What many people don't know is exactly why this happens. Although new muscle growth is a complicated molecular process that is...
When lifting weights, you will most likely feel your muscles tighten and bulge with a fuller and larger appearance. This is a perfectly normal feeling called the pump that is caused by an increase in blood flow that goes into the muscles when...
Coenzyme Q10, or CoQ10, is an enzyme that plays a role in energy production in every cell of the body. Its function is to help other enzymes do their job, particularly in the area of muscle contraction and creation of protein. CoQ10 acts as an...
Exercise poses a major challenge to the various bioenergetic pathways in the working muscle. For example, during heavy exercise the body's total energy expenditure may increase 25 times above expenditure at rest. The body uses carbohydrate, fat...
Veins bulging from your body often look large, rigid and under high pressure. Many people assume this is the circulatory system's response to heightened demands resulting from exercise. Although exercise does have effects in the body that can...
Resistance exercise can provide muscular growth if done properly. The sarcolemma surrounds the muscle cell, and if the resistance is too great or proper form is not used, damage may occur. Too much resistance can cause small tears in the muscle...
Selenium is a trace mineral you need in minimal amounts through your daily diet. This mineral, along with all minerals and vitamins, breaks apart from foods during digestion and absorbs in your small intestine. You should get enough selenium in...
Sodium is an important electrolyte in the body that is responsible for regulating body fluid, maintaining blood pressure, and aiding proper nerve and muscle function. Normal blood plasma contains 136 to 145 mEq/L of sodium, according to...
Water retention occurring in the muscles following a workout typically is a result of excess blood, nutrients and waste byproducts accumulating in the working muscles. Some of the fluid in the muscles comes from other areas of the body, and some...
Magnesium is used in the body to regulate heart beat, keep muscles and nerves functioning optimally, promote bone health and boost the immune system. About 50 percent of your body's magnesium store is found in your bones, with most of the rest...
Myofascial release is a specialized stretching technique used by physical therapists to treat patients experiencing a variety of problems involving soft tissue. Research studies on myofascial release have shown this form of therapy offers numerous...
Diabetes is categorized as either Type I, a metabolic disease in which the body does not produce insulin, or Type II, a metabolic disease in which the body is resistant to insulin. Ninety to 95 percent of those with diabetes have Type II, which...
The process of muscle relaxation and contraction is nearly constant throughout the body. The muscles of the body work in coordinating pairs, called agonists and antagonists. A muscle only pulls; it does not push. Instead, the opposing muscle pulls...
All of your muscle fibers have varying numbers and sizes of the exact same internal components, and each component works continuously during all forms of physical activity. Particular kinds of training can emphasize functions of individual...
In order for muscle to get any bigger, it depends directly on the daily intake of protein and sleep. The body depends on the amino acids it gets from degrading protein and will use those molecules to repair itself during your night's sleep. Your...
Exercise is one of the most essential activities you can perform to help keep your body healthy. In fact, exercise is so important that even the federal government has issued recommendations on exercise through the Centers for Disease Control and...
Overweight and obesity are at epidemic proportions, and excess body fat is associated with coronary artery disease, hypertension, diabetes, pulmonary disease and arthritis. Body composition, or the relative percentage of body weight that is fat or...
Muscle growth (hypertrophy) is an adaptive response to high-intensity, short-duration exercises, such as weightlifting and sprinting. As a result, muscle fibers thicken because of an increase in cell size rather than an increase in the number of...
Potassium is an essential mineral that your body uses to maintain electrochemical gradients across cell membranes. If your potassium levels are not properly balanced, you may experience heart arrhythmias, but you should not attempt to adjust your...
The skeletal muscle and other specialized muscle tissues, namely smooth and cardiac, contain various protein-based substances that help the muscle fibers function at the cellular level. These protein-based substances, also known as enzymes,...
Electrolytes are minerals with an electric charge that are found in body fluids. These include sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, chloride, phosphate, bicarbonate and sulfate. Electrolytes carry either a positive or negative charge. The human...
Potassium is a mineral and electrolyte that is critical for human health. The balance of potassium and sodium regulates fluid levels across cells and tissues. Potassium is important for nerve function, muscle contraction and the maintenance of...
One of the beneficial effects of dietary fibers is the promotion of body-fat burning. Dietary fiber is a non-nutritive and non-digestible carbohydrate that supports good health in humans. It plays numerous roles in controlling how the body...
Because teenagers have relatively high metabolisms, many teenagers have trouble putting on weight, particularly in the form of muscle. While this can be accomplished through a strict program of diet and exercise, one way to make the process easier...
