How muscles grow and stay strong
Physiologic and molecular bases of muscle hypertrophy and atrophy: impact of resistance exercise on human skeletal muscle (protein and exercise dose effects).
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Muscles stay the same size when the body makes and breaks down muscle at the same rate. Eating protein helps build muscle, and exercise boosts this effect. As people age or don’t move much, their muscles don’t respond as well to food, which can cause muscle loss.
Surprising Findings
Muscle loss in aging is not due to chronic changes in basal MPS or MPB, but to a blunted response to feeding.
This contradicts the intuitive belief that older muscles waste away because they’re breaking down faster all the time. Instead, the problem is a failure to build after meals.
Practical Takeaways
Combine resistance exercise with protein intake to maximize muscle maintenance, especially if you're aging or inactive.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Muscles stay the same size when the body makes and breaks down muscle at the same rate. Eating protein helps build muscle, and exercise boosts this effect. As people age or don’t move much, their muscles don’t respond as well to food, which can cause muscle loss.
Surprising Findings
Muscle loss in aging is not due to chronic changes in basal MPS or MPB, but to a blunted response to feeding.
This contradicts the intuitive belief that older muscles waste away because they’re breaking down faster all the time. Instead, the problem is a failure to build after meals.
Practical Takeaways
Combine resistance exercise with protein intake to maximize muscle maintenance, especially if you're aging or inactive.
Publication
Journal
Applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism = Physiologie appliquee, nutrition et metabolisme
Year
2009
Authors
Stuart M Phillips
Related Content
Claims (4)
Everyone can lose fat, get stronger, and build muscle with the right diet and exercise — how much they gain might differ, but the ability is there for all of us.
As we get older or if we're inactive or sick, our muscles don't build new protein as well after eating — and that's a big reason why we lose muscle, not because of changes in how our muscles work when we're not eating.
Your muscles stay the same size over time because your body constantly builds and breaks them down. Eating tips the balance toward building, while not eating tips it toward breaking down — and over time, these ups and downs balance out.
Lifting weights helps your muscles grow, especially when you eat after exercising — together, they give your muscles a big boost and help prevent muscle loss from aging or not moving enough.