Building Strength and Staving Off Muscle Loss: Why Bodybuilding and Protein Intake are Crucial
The muscle reserve acquired by an individual throughout life is essential for overcoming trauma, surgery and recovery from illnesses, as in the case of actor Kayky Brito, victim of being run over in September 2023, in which doctors stated that his routine physical activity and weight training were fundamental in the recovery process. Guilherme Peixoto da Fonseca, professor at the School of Physical Education and Sport (EEFE) at the University of São Paulo, talks about the importance of weight training for building muscle reserve and preventing muscle loss.
According to the specialist, the condition that causes progressive and generalized loss of muscle mass is called sarcopenia. He says that sarcopenia can be divided into primary, which tends to be more natural and generally affects the elderly, and secondary, which occurs as a result of inadequate conditions, such as a sedentary lifestyle, illnesses or accidents. In addition to the amount of muscle lost with sarcopenia, Fonseca reinforces that this disorder affects the strength and function of these structures.
According to the professor, the human body is in a constant process of losing and gaining muscle mass, in which construction is obtained from anabolic synthesis processes, which increase muscle mass, and degradation is the result of catabolic processes, or that is, the reduction of these structures. “During the maintenance of muscle mass, we are in this constant balance between what is being synthesized and what is being degraded. Throughout life, an imbalance can occur, which reduces synthesis and, consequently, increases degradation, resulting in a reduction in muscle mass, in other words, sarcopenia”, he says.
Building muscle
Fonseca explains that each individual gradually increases their muscle mass and reaches its peak around the age of 40, when a small reduction in this mass begins. From the age of 60, according to him, the decrease becomes more pronounced and, therefore, it is necessary to accumulate this lean mass throughout life, as muscle tissue is very plastic and changes quickly.
According to the professor, if a person can reach maximum muscle reserve according to their physiological environment, their body will respond better to situations of physical stress. He explains that, from an energetic point of view, muscles consume a lot of energy, therefore they are used as sources of nutrients for the recovery of patients in adverse situations.
“This muscle reserve will be very important at some point in life when a person has an unfavorable clinical condition, such as immobilization, hospitalization, an acute condition or a surgical procedure. This accumulation will make the patient recover better, because the nutrients needed for their rehabilitation, in large part, come from the muscular part,” he says.
Diseases and diagnosis
According to Tiago Fernandes, also a professor at EEFE, the currently most recommended tool for diagnosing sarcopenia is the one suggested by the European consensus, European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP), published in 2019, which emphasizes the impairment of strength muscle as the main component of the frame. He emphasizes that, to date, there are no markers or laboratory tests to diagnose the disease.
According to the professor, the loss of muscle mass can be found in several diseases, including chronic degenerative diseases, such as obesity, diabetes and heart failure, as well as oncological diseases, AIDS and muscular dystrophies of neurogenic origin. He states that this loss is considered an independent predictor of mortality. “Therefore, the general state of illness that involves marked weight loss and loss of muscle mass leads to the condition we call cachexia. Cachexia is usually a sign of a disease, such as cancer, AIDS or heart failure; and symptoms include weight loss, loss of muscle mass, lack of appetite, fatigue and decreased strength”, says Fernandes.
As Guilherme Fonseca adds, in addition to being the result of some illnesses, sarcopenia itself can cause diseases, such as type 2 diabetes. According to him, muscle tissue is responsible for consuming a large part of the circulating glucose, so, as a patient has reduced your muscle mass has less tissue to consume the glucose present.
“Therefore, glucose begins to accumulate in the bloodstream, which will increase blood glucose and may lead to pre-diabetes and, in the future, may lead to the actual diagnosis of the disease. Although the reduction in muscle mass increases the incidence of type 2 diabetes, there is evidence that the opposite is also true, as individuals with diabetes can more easily develop sarcopenia”, reports Fonseca.
Muscle tissue synthesis
Experts state that building muscle mass to prevent sarcopenia and the diseases resulting from this clinical condition can be achieved mainly through two practices: weight training and a protein-rich diet. Fernandes comments that the combination of these two practices contributes to a reserve of muscle and bone mass in the future, guaranteeing autonomy, mobility, improved immunity and reduced risk of various diseases. “Additionally, when muscles are strong and active, they place more tension on the bones during physical activity, which stimulates the production of new bone tissue,” he says.
For Guilherme Fonseca, the most recommended physical activity for building this tissue is resistance training, popularly known as bodybuilding, in which it is essential to include exercises with the large muscle groups: chest, back, lower limbs, quadriceps, back of the thigh, glutes and torso.
“This resistance can be generated by machines, elastic bands and your own body weight, at a frequency of two to three times a week. The protein consumption part can be done via food or supplementation. If a person eats very little in the morning, try to increase this consumption a little at lunch and dinner. So, the combination of strength training and protein consumption is essential”, he concludes.