Your heart and skeletal muscles --- those you move voluntarily --- contain the protein myoglobin. Like its cousin hemoglobin in your red blood cells, myoglobin transports oxygen. An iron molecule within myoglobin confers its oxygen-carrying...
Rhabdomyolysis is a disorder in which skeletal muscle fibers break down and release muscle fiber contents called myoglobin into the bloodstream. Myoglobin is dangerous to the kidneys and can result in permanent damage.
Leg cramps can bring your workout to a sudden, painful stop. Fortunately, most people can avoid experiencing leg cramps while running by taking precautions before their workout begins. Leg cramps are normally the result of fatigue, dehydration or...
When the heart suffers injury or damage such as occurs after a heart attack, it releases certain enzymes into the bloodstream, according to Smart-Heart-Living.com. The blood levels of these enzymes can be measured with simple blood tests. When...
Ferritin, a protein in the body, stores iron and releases it when needed, and acts as a mediator and a transporter for iron. The amount of ferritin in the body is directly related to the amount of iron in the body. Ferritin works harder in the...
Fried chicken is a comfort food staple, especially in the South. When it's properly prepared, the outside is crispy and golden, and the inside is moist and juicy. Occasionally, the golden appearance can be marred by trickles of blood or other red...
Rhabdomyolysis is a condition of rapid muscle breakdown. It can be caused by trauma, infections and medicines. The major complication of rhabdomyolysis is acute renal failure, in which the breakdown products of muscle cells, specifically a protein...
Rhabdomyolysis is a physiological process resulting from damage, such as trauma, to your skeletal muscles. This damage to your muscles eventually causes a buildup of the electrolyte potassium in your bloodstream. Excess serum potassium, or...
Regardless whether you get iron from iron-rich foods such as beef, black strap molasses and oysters, or whether you take oral or intravenous iron supplements, your body uses this mineral to transport oxygen. Transporting oxygen is central to...
Iron is one of the most important minerals in the human body. It is also one of the most abundant minerals on the planet. Iron is essential for many of the body's metabolic functions, but its main role is in the production of hemoglobin, the...
Potassium is vital to the body for regulating muscle tissue, metabolism and maintaining the balance between the electrical and chemical processes of the brain. High potassium, also known as hyperkalemia, occurs when the kidneys fail to excrete...
Rhabdomyolysis describes the injury and breakdown of voluntary muscles, also known as skeletal muscles. The contents of the destroyed cells enter the circulation, causing metabolic disturbances throughout the body. Rhabdomyolysis most commonly...
The condition characterized by high levels of potassium in the blood is called hyperkalemia. Most potassium in the body is located in the cells and organs, not in the bloodstream. Potassium is an essential nutrient that aids in proper function of...
As many as 25 percent of Americans over age 45 take cholesterol-lowering medications called statins, according to the April 2011 issue of the Harvard Health Letter. Although statins effectively reduce the cardiac risks of high cholesterol, the...
Millions of Americans suffer from hyperlipidemia, a condition characterized by elevated levels of cholesterol and other lipids found in the bloodstream. Hyperlipidemia has been shown to increase the risk of heart disease, stroke and pancreatitis....
Rhabdomyolysis involves the breakdown of muscle fibers. The disorder can be induced by extreme activity, and causes your body to produce high levels of creatine kinase. Substances including myoglobin -- the protein responsible for your muscles'...
Alcoholism, a physical dependence on alcohol, is a condition associated with numerous problems with mental health, social interaction, relationships and day-to-day responsibilities. Despite these repercussions, those with alcoholism continue to...
Rhabdomyolysis is a condition that is characterized by the breakdown of muscle fibers. When muscle fibers break down, the contents are released into the bloodstream. These contents are called myoglobin. The kidney filters myoglobin from the...
Red meat gets its name from the presence of myoglobin, a protein that binds oxygen from the animal's blood to its muscles. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that the high levels of myoglobin in cows, sheep and pigs cause the meat to...
Your muscular system is made up of a variety of muscles, fibers, tissues and tendons that aid in movement and help to support the function of your skeletal system. Each portion of your muscular system plays an important role in your ability to...
Creatine is a sport supplement used to increase strength and endurance in short, high-intensity activities such as sprinting and weightlifting. Rhabdomyolysis is a release of chemicals found in damaged muscle tissue into the body. Creatine itself...
Iron is a trace mineral, or micromineral, that the body requires in very small amounts for good health. Iron is important to normal muscle function, and low levels of iron can contribute to the condition known as restless leg syndrome, or RLS....
Red meat consumption has been linked to heart disease, high blood pressure and certain cancers. Alarmed by the research, many people have decided to swear off beef, pork and lamb completely. Doing so can have health benefits, but it also requires...
Rhabdomyolysis is a serious medical condition in which the muscle fibers breakdown. This action causes the release of a protein pigment called myoglobin into the blood stream. Myoglobin breaks down into compounds that are harmful to the kidneys....
The muscles in your body make it possible to move. Muscles cover your bones and make up the bulk of your heart. In fact, your heart is the most important muscle in your body because it pumps blood to your organs. Even your blood vessels contain...
Simvastatin is the generic name for the cholesterol-lowering drug Zocor. Doctors commonly prescribe statins for patients with high cholesterol levels. Drugs in this class inhibit HMG CoA reductase, the enzyme required by the body to produce...
As many as 33 percent of alcoholics develop alcoholic myopathy, a breakdown of the proximal muscle tissue, lead author Jose Nicolas of the University of Barcelona reported in an August 2003 issue of the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition."...
The muscular system is responsible for all body movement. More than 600 muscles in the body aid in voluntary bodily movement, heart rate, pumping of blood and digestion, according to Kids Health. The muscular system is composed of skeletal muscle,...
There are over 600 muscles in the body that work together with tendons and ligaments to allow body movement. Skeletal muscle, also called voluntary muscle, is responsible for voluntary movement, such as lifting an arm. Smooth muscles line internal...
