Physical fitness is one of the best predictors of future health.
Not only aerobic fitness but muscle mass too. Especially when it comes to heart health.
In a recent study of men over the age of 45, more muscle reduced their risk of developing heart disease by 81%.
Muscle mass reduces inflammation, improves blood sugar control and having more muscle means an active lifestyle. The researchers also found that men with more muscle at the start of the study had lower rates of other risk factors for heart disease, like high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity.
What are you made of?
Weight loss is big business, but maintaining muscle is often not a consideration. This has long term consequences.
Weight loss through calorie restriction also results in muscle loss, about 30% of weight loss in a diet is due to muscle loss.
Body composition makes a difference in your health and longevity.
Muscle matters.
When it comes to your heart it can be life or death.
Dr. Kopecky a Mayo Clinic cardiologist says,
“Every pound of weight we put on is 5 miles of blood vessels. If your heart beats 100,000 times a day, that’s 500,000 miles a day for one pound of fat,” says Dr. Kopecky. “So you do the math. If you’re 10 pounds overweight, it’s a lot and your heart gets tired. The blood pressure goes up. The heart attack rates go up, etc.”
Dr. Kopecky, Mayo Clinic
The opposite is also true.
Strength training lowers blood pressure, immediately and long term. More muscle mass means less pressure in your arteries.
Dr Scott Collier Phd, Cardiovascular Exercise Science says,
Strength training does increase blood flow while you’re exercising and recovering from that exercise, by helping you build lean muscle, it ultimately gives your cardiovascular system more places to put its blood, thereby reducing pressure on your arterial walls.
US News
Strength training reduces belly fat.
Visceral fat, the type that is around your abdomen, is strongly linked to cardiovascular disease. Regardless of your weight, extra abdominal fat results in an increased risk of heart disease.
In the battle of the belly bulge, strength training makes a difference. In a study of 10,500 men, those who strength trained for 20 minutes per day gained less visceral fat than those who did aerobic exercise.
Dr Timothy Miller, Sports Medicine Physician says,
“By increasing lean body mass or muscle, strength training speeds up the body’s metabolic rate. That has a secondary effect of decreasing fatty tissue in the midsection and around the heart.”
Dr Timothy Miller
More muscle = heart health
As little as an hour week can reduce your risk of heart attack or stroke by 40-70%. Less than an hour a week of strength training reduces your risk of metabolic syndrome by 30% independent of aerobic exercise. Metabolic syndrome also increases the risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
Heart Healthy
If you want to keep your heart healthy add strength training to your exercise routine. More muscle makes a difference.
Change your mind, change your health,
Shayla
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