Dominic Stone
Building muscle is a complex process that involves several factors, including exercise, diet, and rest. When you engage in extreme physical activity, such as weightlifting, your muscle fibres undergo trauma or microtears. This process triggers the body's repair mechanism, activating satellite cells that work to heal the damage and increase muscle fibre size. Certain hormones also play a role in muscle growth, and specific foods can fuel the body to support this process. While muscle development varies depending on age, sex, and genetics, strength training is generally considered the most effective way to build muscle mass.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Muscle-building exercise | Weightlifting, strength training, cardiovascular activity |
| Muscle growth | Muscle fibres undergo trauma, or microtears, which are repaired by the body, causing the muscle to grow in size |
| Muscle repair | Satellite cells on the outside of the muscle fibres become activated and join together to repair the damage |
| Muscle growth limitations | The body cannot grow additional muscle cells, so muscle growth is limited by the number of muscle cells you have |
| Muscle-building hormones | Testosterone |
| Muscle-building factors | Age, sex, genetics |
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What You'll Learn
Muscle injury and repair
Muscles are built through consistent activity and exercise. Strength training is the most effective way to build muscle, although cardiovascular activity can also be beneficial. People with an endomorphic body type tend to build muscle most effectively through strength training. However, muscle development rates vary depending on age, sex, and genetics.
During exercise, the body's cells break down Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) to release energy for muscle contractions. The stores of creatine, phosphate and glycogen in the cells are also converted into ATP. The by-product of this process is lactic acid. When the glycogen stores in the cells have been depleted, and lactic acid has built up, the muscles cannot work efficiently, and you need to rest. As the muscle fibres become completely fatigued, microtears occur.
Satellite cells on the outside of the muscle fibres become activated during muscle injury. They attempt to repair the damage by joining together and, as a result, increasing the muscle fibre. Certain hormones also help your muscles grow and control the satellite cells. It takes several weeks or months of consistent activity and exercise before muscle changes become visible. To build muscle effectively, adults should engage in muscle-strengthening exercises that involve all major muscle groups at least twice weekly.
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Strength training
When you do extreme exercise, like weightlifting, your muscle fibres undergo trauma, or what’s called muscle injury. When your muscles are injured this way, satellite cells on the outside of the muscle fibres become activated. They attempt to repair the damage by joining together and, as a result, increasing the muscle fibre.
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Rest
The body repairs these microtears by adding amino acids (actin and myosin) to the myofilament, which causes them to grow in size. However, the body cannot grow additional muscle cells, so muscle growth is limited by the number of muscle cells you have. This repair process is when your muscles start to grow, and it is during this time that rest is crucial.
It is important to note that the amount of rest needed may vary depending on factors such as age, sex, and genetics. Strength training is the best type of exercise to build muscle, but cardiovascular activity can also provide benefits.
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Diet
To build muscle, it's important to eat a well-balanced diet that includes healthy carbohydrates, fats and protein.
Protein is particularly important for building and maintaining muscle mass. To achieve this, you should aim to eat at least 1g of protein per 454g of body weight. For example, if you weigh 91kg, you should eat 200g of protein per day. This can be achieved by eating a whole protein source with each meal. Examples of whole protein sources include red meat (beef, pork, lamb), poultry (chicken, turkey, duck), fish (tuna, salmon, sardines, mackerel), eggs, dairy (milk, cheese, cottage cheese, quark, yoghurt), whey, and vegan options such as lentils, tofu, seeds and nuts.
It's also important to eat plenty of whole foods, which are unprocessed and unrefined, or only slightly refined. Examples include fresh meat, fish, poultry, eggs, vegetables, pulses, fruits, rice, oats, and quinoa. Processed foods, such as bagels, fruit bars, cereals, pizza, cookies, sausages, and frozen meals, often contain added sugars, trans fats, nitrates, corn syrup, and sodium, which can be detrimental to muscle growth.
To maximise muscle growth, it's better to eat a clean bulk of healthy fats, carbohydrates, and proteins, rather than simply eating high-calorie foods. Bulking up refers to being in a calorie surplus, which means consuming more calories than you burn throughout the day.
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Genetics
It is clear that genetics play a role in muscle building. Some people build muscle more easily than others, and this is often due to genetics. Genes determine our abilities to some degree, and our responsiveness to resistance training is likely due to genetics.
One gene that has been proven to impact strength and muscle size is called ACTN3. This gene codes for α-actinin-3, a protein in fast-twitch muscle fibres. These fibres allow muscles to contract rapidly, and are necessary for power sports like weightlifting and sprinting. If the ratio of muscle fibres is genetically higher in fast-twitch fibres, they will build faster and larger than if they were higher in slow-twitch fibres.
As a result of the influence of genetics on muscle building, personal trainers may turn to genetic test results to help clients maximise their potential. With a better understanding of how genes impact muscle growth and development, trainers can improve client workouts and results.
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Frequently asked questions
Muscles are built through exercise, specifically strength training. When you do extreme exercise, like weightlifting, your muscle fibres undergo trauma, or what’s called muscle injury. When your muscles are injured this way, satellite cells on the outside of the muscle fibres become activated. They attempt to repair the damage by joining together and, as a result, increasing the muscle fibre.
It takes several weeks or months of consistent activity and exercise before muscle changes become visible.
Strength training is the best type of exercise to build muscle, although cardiovascular activity can also provide benefits.
