Two Reasons We Want More Muscle Mass: Brand New Study
Why do YOU strength train? Why do you prioritize the time, spend the money, and, of course, put forth the effort involved to strength train?
Of course, the answers to this question are personal to each of us.
For years, I’ve observed that most people—even people who are wholly committed to regular, intense strength training—don’t provide great answers to this question. And, of course, their answers are good (and who am I to judge). What I mean is that most people aren’t engaging in strength training for some of the most compelling, evidence-based reasons. Why not? Because people who engage in strength training are unaware of many (perhaps most) of the benefits.
Even people who love to strength train are largely unaware of some of the most powerful benefits.
Authors of a new research review published this month in the journal Sports Medicine articulated two powerful reasons that we should all try to add more muscle mass. To be clear, this research review focused on why we should try to stimulate muscle hypertrophy (an increase in muscle size).
Muscle hypertrophy triggers fat loss. The authors conclude, “The stimulation of global muscle hypertrophy in humans and animals typically reduces fat mass… Muscle hypertrophy has clinically meaningful anti-obesity effects in humans.”
Muscle hypertrophy improves glucose homeostasis. The authors conclude, “Muscle hypertrophy has clinically meaningful anti-diabetic effects in humans.”
Take-Home Message: We are strength training to build bigger muscles that (1) fight off fat accumulation and (2) ward off Type 2 diabetes.
