Muscle matters - unlocking your body's full potential

 

There’s an important shift happening in the wellness space. 

For the longest time we’ve been bombarded with a narrative dominated by the pursuit of weight loss, dieting and restrictive practices as the primary route to ‘health’. We’ve all been there - enduring crash diets, countless hours of cardio, and existing on dry, sad looking salads. And yet despite these miserable efforts,  many of us found ourselves drained of energy, suffering sluggish metabolism and further away from that feeling of ‘vitality’ than ever.

Thankfully, conversation is transforming. Light is being shone upon holistic wellbeing, embracing balance, longevity, quality of life and nourishing your mind and body to live life well.  Where “fat loss” once topped search engines, “muscle gain” is now leading the charge. 

So why is muscle now the talk of the Wellness Town? 

Beyond the benefits of lifting your furniture when you fancy a change in your living room, more and more research consistently highlights the crucial role of muscle quality as we age. Muscle isn’t just about strength; it’s fundamental to numerous health benefits that align with those broader wellness goals. It is our ally in maintaining independence and vitality as we age, our functional friend who gives us the ability to engage fully with the world around us. It's time we start giving it the attention it truly deserves.

Reclaiming your Muscle 

When you think of muscle, what images come to mind? Perhaps the hum of a gym, the repetition of weights, or just a part of your body that simply gets you from A to B. Maybe you picture bodybuilders, with their sculpted forms, or athletes pushing themselves to the limits of human endurance. Do you, in fact, believe that focusing on muscle health isn’t for you? 

Muscle is so much more than we often give it credit for and the truth is, whether young or old, active or simply navigating the demands of daily life, muscle health is crucial for everyone.

For those seeking increased energy, balanced blood sugar, hormonal harmony, improved body composition, faster metabolism, a robust immune system, and a long, active life, muscle holds the key. 

 

Muscle improves your metabolism 

An often overlooked benefit of having a healthy amount of muscle is how it closely ties with our metabolism. Muscle tissue is highly metabolically active. This means it burns more calories at rest compared to fat tissue. 

The more muscle tissue you have also means a larger number of muscle fibres that can produce myokines. Myokines are a signalling molecule, released by muscle cells when we contract them. These messengers help to improve metabolic processes such as glucose uptake, utilising fat for energy, and insulin sensitivity. 

Those prioritising cardio and eating a restrictive diet to try to burn off body fat may actually be speeding up muscle loss in the process, in turn slowing their metabolic rate. Conversely, by focusing on building and maintaining muscle, you can create a better metabolic environment. This changes the ratio of muscle:fat, creating a significant shift in your body composition, whilst also improving your metabolic efficiency. 

 

Muscle helps to manage blood sugar 

It can be helpful to think of muscle as your metabolic suitcase. The glucose and carbs you eat can be packed and stored in your muscles. They make the perfect storage place as you need this glucose (called glycogen when it’s in storage) for fuel when working your muscles hard. The better quality muscle you have, the more space you have to store glycogen. The less muscle you have, and the more sedentary you are, the less ability you have to store carbs in those meaty suitcases. When you don’t have any place to put them, blood sugar rises, the pancreas secretes insulin, and you store glucose as fat. 

However, if you’re using those muscles well, the stores start to empty. Your body seeks out more glycogen from the liver and blood, resulting in lower blood sugar levels and freeing up room for more glucose from your next meal.  This process helps regulate blood sugar levels, determines how your body uses carbohydrates and fats, manages insulin sensitivity, and improves energy balance. 

 

Muscle is key to longevity 

When you start to focus on muscle in your workouts and diet consistently (more on this later), you start to notice an uplift in your strength. You’re able to lift heavier weights or train for longer and handle more challenges. Not only is this great for your self confidence and resilience, it’s crucial as you age. 

The saying ‘use it or lose it’ is often applied to muscle, and for good reason. The body will adapt to its needs and if muscles aren’t challenged, they’ll start to waste away. On top of this, the natural ageing process also has an impact on muscle loss. 

Muscle loss as we age, called sarcopenia, is a well-documented phenomenon. Research indicates that from the age of 40, the average person loses about 8% of their muscle mass per decade. This rate accelerates significantly after the age of 70, potentially doubling to around 15% per decade. This loss of muscle can have profound impacts on mobility, metabolism, increased risk of falls, inflammation and decreased independence. 

The good news is, much of this muscle loss, especially in younger and middle-aged adults, can be slowed or prevented.  The more muscle we have when our bodies start naturally breaking it down, the longer it will last and function. 

 

Muscle boosts your energy levels

 

The strength and stamina you achieve when working muscles hard comes from the growth of new muscle fibres, as well as energy-producing factories called mitochondria. Muscle cells, especially those involved in endurance activities, contain a high number of mitochondria because they require a lot of energy to function. When you build more muscle, you increase the number of cells that require energy, which can lead to an increase in the number of mitochondria in those cells. This means you can create more energy efficiently. 

 

Muscle = Whole Body Health Benefits 

 

Muscle is significantly more vascular (meaning it has a better blood supply) than fat which increases its benefits, helping to transport important nutrients around the body. Maintaining muscle mass is particularly important for menopausal women. Lean body mass may help to reduce symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats. 

Building muscular strength, especially through resistance training, can help to combat weak, brittle bones as we age.  Lifting and resistance puts stress on bones that stimulate bone-building cells. This is particularly important for women during or post menopause who are at higher risk of osteoporosis compared to men. 

Protecting your muscle

Switching your mindset into maintaining and gaining more muscle has game-changing benefits. There are two impactful ways to stimulate and protect your muscle health; a nourishing diet and prioritising resistance training. 

Protein in particular builds muscle via protein synthesis, challenging your muscles through resistance training then accelerates the process. By placing stress on your muscles, you stimulate a process in which you break down tissue and rebuild stronger ones. Protein then supports the repair of these muscle tissues, improving their strength and quality. 

Try these five mindset shifts:

1. Prioritise Protein 

Consuming enough protein ensures that your muscles have the necessary building blocks to maintain and grow.

Build your meals around a protein source paired with  plants. Include a high-quality source of protein at every meal such as organic meats, fish, eggs, dairy, collagen peptides, legumes, and plant-based proteins in your diet.

2. Challenge your body with strength training

You can start simple here. Muscle-building exercises that rely on your own body weight — think push-ups, planks and squats — can be incredibly effective when done consistently. If you have the equipment or access to a gym, start incorporating weight lifting, or resistance band exercises into your routine 2-4 times a week. This can also include walking with a weighted backpack, movement ‘snacks’ (10 squats whilst you brush your teeth) or getting creative with challenging your muscles such as offering your neighbour to carry their food shopping. 

3. Ensure you’re nourishing your body for its needs 

Consuming too few calories can actually lead to muscle breakdown as the body may start using muscle tissue for energy, meaning you also lose all those muscle-centric benefits. 

It is important to make sure you’re eating enough to support your activity level, with the primary focus on whole foods.

4. Remember to include recovery and rest

Muscles need time to recover and grow stronger after workouts. Overtraining can lead to muscle breakdown and increased risk of injury. Prioritising sleep and ensuring you are incorporating rest days out should be integral to your overall plan. 

5. Level up with supplements 

Supplements can help fill nutritional gaps and offer extra support for your muscles. Certain ingredients are designed to help you get the most out of your workouts. The bottom line? The more you enjoy moving, the more likely you are to keep it up. Since continuing to be active is essential to a long, healthy life, finding joy in it is key. 

True Creatine+ has been designed to ignite your inner potential and help you rediscover that joy of movement.  Creatine monohydrate has been shown to improve strength, power, and muscle mass, especially when paired with strength training. 

 

Type I Collagen Peptides, although not a complete protein, help towards your protein intake as well as supporting key structures in the body including bones, ligaments and tendons - all key to ensuring you can continue to train, lift and challenge. 

Type II Collagen, which constitutes 95% of cartilage, acts as a dedicated guardian for your joints, ensuring mobility and comfort for an active lifestyle.

It’s time we break down misconceptions and reclaim ‘muscle’ as a foundation of strength and vitality—something that belongs to all of us, empowering us to live our most Brave life.

1. Janssen I, Heymsfield SB, Wang ZM, Ross R. Skeletal muscle mass and distribution in 468 men and women aged 18-88 yr. Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985). 2000;89(1):81-88.