The body contains a certain amount of muscle. Muscle mass percentage describes how much of the human body is skeletal and non-striated muscle. Most of the time, what is being measured is the skeletal muscle. Dr. Megan Soliman and Dr. Aaron Kandola outline the basics of muscle mass percentage and how to calculate it. Dr. Soliman’s background includes a BS in neuroscience and is a doctor of medicine from Saba University. Dr. Soliman’s research mostly focuses on the adverse effects of medicine and supplements. Dr. Aaron Kandola has a Ph.D. in psychiatric epidemiology. He works as a senior health analyst for the UK Health Security Agency and Public Health England. Dr. Soliman provides medical fact checking, while Dr. Kandola wrote the text. Neither of the medical professionals are myologists. Having a specialist related to a certain organ system is needed. Going through medical school, one can assume both have enough knowledge to discuss Various organ systems. Medicine through the centuries has become so advanced specialization is required . Muscle mass percentage can be an indicator of the health of the musculoskeletal system.
Muscle has many functions. The muscles aid in movement, posture, and various functions of the human body. The body also has a certain amount of fat, water, and bones. non-striated muscle is used for the involuntary movements of the internal organs. Cardiac muscle is found in the heart. Skeletal muscle is on various parts of the body. Skeletal muscle is under voluntary control. Exercising uses the impulses from the nervous system to get skeletal muscle to move. Myology is the study of the muscular system and its function. Myology also sees to examine and develop treatments related to the diseases of the muscular system. The diseases of the muscular system include polymyositis, dermatomyositis, and muscular dystrophy. Polymyositis refers to multiple cases in inflammation in the muscle tissue. Dermatomyositis is also a type of inflammation, but also involves muscle weakness and skin rashes. Muscular dystrophy describes a condition of rapid muscle loss and weakness. Diseases of the muscular system can either be caused by a genetic component or autoimmune disorder.
The skeletal muscle consists of myocytes. When muscle is exercise of a certain period it can grow. Muscular hypertrophy can be achieved by resistance training. Exercise can increase strength, mobility, and endurance. When muscles are not exercised, they can decrease in mass. A difference in muscle mass percentage is seen based on sex. Data from Omron Healthcare shows the percentages broken into age groups. Muscle mass is highest between the ages 18 to 39. Men have more compared to women. As both sexes age muscle mass decreases. Medical News Today makes a note about the difference between sex and gender. It states that both are on a spectrum . Gender can be on a spectrum, but sex is not. There are people who are intersex or have differences in sexual development. This may not seen relevant, because the discussion is focused on those who were assigned male or female at birth. There is going to be a difference for transmen and transwomen compared to their cisgender counterparts. The major factors are sexual reassignment surgery and hormone replacement therapy. Transmen are going to have an easier time building muscle. Transwomen going through HRT will notice a decrease in muscle mass and strength. The research is limited related to the physical capabilities of transmen and transwomen. Sex, not gender plays the role in the muscular system. The muscle cells are the same for cisgender and transgender individuals. What varies is the amount of type I and type II muscle fiber. Individuals with more type II muscle fiber can have more muscular strength. Type I muscle fiber allows from more endurance.
Muscle has three distinct classifications . Involuntary muscles ( called smooth ) describe muscles that move without conscious control. Organs require involuntary muscles for various functions. The intestines and lungs use involuntary muscles for physiological processes. Involuntary muscle can be recognized by a non-striated appearance. Striation refer to the light and dark bands on a myofibril. Skeletal muscle has attachments to the bone and requires voluntary movement. The pectoralis major and biceps brachii are classified as skeletal muscle.
One specific distinction related to the term muscle mass. Muscle mass refers to the collective tissues. When muscle mass is reference in fitness text it is discussing skeletal muscle. When measuring amount cardiac and involuntary muscle is not included. Keeping the musculoskeletal system healthy is just as important as the cardiovascular and nervous system. Exercise is a method for maintaining skeletal muscle mass.
The calculation of skeletal muscle mass can be by number of ways. The use of magnetic resonance imaging can show how much muscle is in the body. MRI machines use magnets and radio waves to see the internal organs of a person. A person goes inside a cylinder shaped tube. A magnetic field is formed. Radio waves come from the scanner. What this does is move the atoms in a person to move in one direction. The signals from the machine go to a computer. Then the process ends with a converted image. An MRI is usually given for detecting certain diseases. It is not ideal for fitness related assessments. Dr. Megan Soliman and Dr. Aaron Kandola omit dual x-ray absorptiometry. DEXA scans would probably better compared to using MRI for muscle mass percentage.
Computed tomography uses x-rays. CT scans are mostly for diagnosing medical conditions. Getting scans can be expensive, but there are alternatives. A skinfold caliper can be a substitute. Online calculators might not be reliable. Another method is to just measure body fat percentage. Making a subtraction of 100, the difference reveals skeletal muscle mass . Using anthropometrics related to circumference of body parts is another recommended method. The calculation of muscle mass gives an idea of health status.
Muscle mass percentage can be used as a general health indicator. The amount a person has can predict risk for sarcopenia or osteoporosis. Medical professionals have not made a specific guideline for a healthy muscle mass percentage. The proxy measurement would be to just examine total bodyfat. Further studies would be needed to determine the specific amount of muscle mass needed for health. The body mass is used for measuring a healthy weight. BMI does not do this when put under scrutiny. A person with significant muscle mass could be classified as obese or overweight.
Professional athletes using BMI would deemed as such by the equation and charts. That is false, which is why BMI should not be used. The equation does not distinguish between fat and muscle . The BMI just takes the total. Then some information can be challenged. Medical News Today asserts that BMI differs based on race and ethnicity. The claim is that BMI relies too much on white populations for data. The biggest factors related to obesity is diet, limited exercise, and genetics. Body fat distribution varies among individuals; it is not based on ethnicity or race. Weight management should involve analysis of body composition, not BMI.
Muscle mass has advantages. One study cited suggested that resistance training can be a method of fighting depression. The connection could be from endorphins interacting with the brain. More clinical trials are needed to confirm this. It is possible that exercise could be recommended as an alternative to a medication based form of treatment. More muscle mass can also prevent injury. Daily tasks require movement and a certain degree of physical effort. Hurting yourself moving furniture, bags, or other objects can happen. Falls can be a concern for the elderly. Lifting weights can increase strength and help with maintaining balance. Preserving mobility becomes critical with advanced age.
Building muscle can also protect bones. When muscular hypertrophy occurs, bone mass increases as well. The skeleton provides support to the muscles on the human body. Muscle health and skeletal health are connected. When exercise is limited muscles can atrophy. Protection can be provided to the skeletal system by strength training. Added strength has applications outside a gym. Doing certain chores can be made easier. Shoveling snow, carrying groceries, or mowing a lawn will be less physically demanding.
General information is provided on how to build muscle mass. This involves lifting weights. Before doing this an individual should consult with their primary care doctor. Knowing the fitness goal helps make a exercise program more efficient. Dr. Megan Soliman and Dr. Aaron Kandola are making recommendations for basic health maintenance. Athletic training would require some guidance from a personal trainer or coach. Doing strength training does not require a gym. Weights can be used at home. Doing push-ups and sit-ups are also ways to build muscle without equipment. Injuries happen when exercises are done incorrectly or the exercise session is too intense. A novice should not attempt to lift the heaviest weight. Using a strength standard chart follow guidelines based on your weight. Overtime, gradually increase volume. To maintain muscle, a certain amount of calories must be consumed. Getting enough protein is essential. Skeletal muscle mass can be one indicator of health. Different methods of calculation of percentage exist. Some are more precise than others.