Muscle matters - unlocking your body's full potential

There’s an important shift happening in the wellness space. Where “fat loss” once topped search results, “muscle gain” is now the talk of the wellness world. 

And for good reason, too. Muscle isn’t just about strength; research consistently highlights the crucial role of muscle quality as we age. 

It’s fundamental to overall wellness, our ally in maintaining independence and vitality, our functional friend who gives us the ability to engage fully with the world around us. 

At Ancient + Brave, we believe that it's time we start giving it the attention it truly deserves. Join Jo Woodhurst, Director of Nutrition at Ancient + Brave, as she takes a deep dive into why building muscle matters for overall wellness and shares expert tips for protecting your muscle mass.

Muscle health benefits: Why muscles matter

When you think of muscle, what images come to mind? Perhaps the hum of a gym, the repetition of weights, 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, 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, and a robust immune system, muscle holds the key. 

Let’s dive into some of the ways that muscle helps us to support a long and active life.

6 ways muscle supports a long and active life

Muscles' importance for strength and vitality: 

Strength training benefits extend far beyond the gym. Consistently building muscle through exercise and diet not only helps you to lift more, but it also boosts your endurance and your self-confidence. The strength and stamina you achieve come from the growth of new muscle fibres, as well as energy-producing factories called mitochondria. More about these in the next section.

Muscles' importance for energy:

The science of how muscles build energy is simple. Muscles, especially those involved in endurance activities, need plenty of energy and contain lots of mitochondria. As you build more muscle, you build more energy-demanding cells. The result? Your body develops more mitochondria and becomes more efficient at producing energy.

Muscle’s importance for longevity:

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.

When it comes to healthy ageing, preserving your muscle mass is key. Muscle loss as we age, called sarcopenia, is a well-documented phenomenon. We lose muscle mass at a rate of around 8% per decade from the age of 40 onwards. By age 70, this rises to 15% per decade. This can have a profound impact on joint stability,  mobility, metabolism and independence. It also heightens our risk of falls and inflammation. 

The good news is that much of this muscle loss 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. 

Building muscle through resistance training helps to combat weak, brittle bones as we age by putting 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. 

The importance of muscles during the menopause:

Speaking of the menopause, having lean muscle mass can also help those navigating hot flashes and night sweats. 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.

Muscles' importance for metabolic health: 

An often overlooked benefit of having a healthy amount of muscle is how it is closely tied to our metabolism. Muscle tissue is highly metabolically active. This muscle burns more calories at rest compared to fat tissue, supporting a faster metabolism and a healthier metabolic environment. The more muscle you have, the more myokines you have to release during movement. These are important messengers that help improve metabolic processes such as glucose uptake, utilising fat for energy, and insulin sensitivity. 

The importance of muscles for blood sugar balance:

Muscle can help regulate blood sugar levels and manage insulin sensitivity, too. How? 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. 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. 

How to build muscle

 There are two impactful ways to stimulate and protect your muscle health;

• A nourishing diet 

• 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 muscle tissue. Protein then supports the repair of these muscle tissues, improving their strength and quality.

4 nutritionist tips for preserving muscle

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, legumes, and lean on protein top-ups, such as Brave Ancestral Protein, when you don’t get enough protein from your diet alone.

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 to carry your neighbour's food shopping. 

True Creatine+  can help you here. This resilience ritual contains creatine monohydrate, which has been shown to improve strength, power, and muscle mass, especially when paired with strength training.

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.

Recover 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 should be integral to your wellbeing plan. 

Final note

Muscle goes beyond simply having the strength to move the living room furniture around when you fancy a change. 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.