Genetics and its influence on muscle growth and weight loss
You started exercising, you take it seriously, but the expected progress is not coming. You pay attention to the technique of doing exercises, everything is thought through, and your diet is honest. So what's the problem? Is there insufficient progress caused by your genetics?
Our genetic information is organized in chromosomes. Man has 46 chromosomes, 23 from each parent. Think of them as a book with thousands of information about our body. Genetics determines the parameters of our body. However, we often cannot imagine the famous and elaborated bodybuilders at the beginning of their careers. Maybe some of you will say that they have already been born with muscles. However, no one is born as a “superhero”. Or yes?
In 2009, a group of scientists sought to calculate the likelihood of a human being who had all the beneficial genes for strength - all the prerequisites to becoming a born strongman. The result was very interesting. With a population of 6 billion people on our planet, only 2 people could have 17 of the 22 beneficial genes. What does it mean? We are all born with some assumption to get our bodies in shape. After all, the “two lucky ones” from the study have only the potential for strength. It does not mean that they will develop it in life.
Each of us has a body in something different. Muscle growth is influenced by the type of striated muscle fibers, fat distribution, hormone levels, as well as the quality and duration of our workouts. In this article, you will learn more about the factors that influence progress in your exercise. We cannot change the types of striated muscle tissue, hormone levels, or fat distribution. However, we can learn more about them and use our new information to improve our training.
How does the brain communicate with our muscles?
Muscle tissue is organized into a group with a motor unit. The motor unit is simply a bundle of muscle fibers. The reason why muscle tissue is organized this way is simple - communication. What happens in your body when, for example, you want to raise your hand? Your brain sends a signal through the spine that gets into the motor unit.
What types of cross-striated muscle tissue do we know?
Let's focus on the striated muscles that we can control and that we can do sports. You may not have known that this tissue can be divided into several types.
There are three types of striated muscle tissue:
1. Type I - slow-twitch
2. Type II - fast-twitch
1.Type IIA
2.Type IIB
Type I - "red" tissue - has a higher density and number of capillaries. It is rich in myoglobin and mitochondria, which is why it is red in color. Muscle contraction occurs more slowly, even without much effort. Type I handles aerobic activity well because it uses fats and carbohydrates as its energy source.
Type II - (fast-oxidizing) tissue - less tissue and less mitochondria are found in this tissue. Muscle contraction is rapid and with a large dose of strength. The tissue is strong, but does not last long. This type of power ensures our strength and when exercising with weights there is an increase in these muscles. Type II has two subtypes - IIA and IIB.
The brain knows how much and which tissue it needs for a certain activity. Based on this, it sends signals to specific motor units. Waving your hand requires less muscle than holding a 10 kg bag home from shopping. To exert greater force, the brain must send a signal to sufficient motor units of fast-oxidizing muscles (Type II).
The tissue types I and II differ fundamentally. The differences between sub-types IIA and IIB are not significant, but it is good to know them. The IIA and IIB subtypes are capable of achieving the same peak performance in terms of value. However, the Type IIA needs more time to do this.
How does genetics affect this process?
Muscles in our body are a combination of muscle types I and II. The type I and type II ratio is genetically determined.
What does it mean? Imagine you are practicing your triceps. After a while you see the result, but your friend has achieved the same result in less time. It does not mean that he practiced more or technically better. His triple shoulder arm has a higher ratio of type II tissues.
What type of character were you born with?
The character type is a very common reason why people refuse to exercise. “I don't have a character to exercise. I could be at the fitness center every day, and I wouldn't take anything in months in the process. ”Do you think these are evasive words? It doesn't have to be true.
Do we get the character genetically? Are there specific types of characters?
Yes and yes.
Already in ancient Greece, people thought about the possibility that there are types of human body. Plato dealt with it. In the 19th century, Frederick Nietzsche also pursued this idea. However, it was precisely determined by American psychologist William Sheldon. He defined three somatotypes of a human figure:
ectomorph
mesomorph
endomorph
1. Ectomorph - looks poor, has long limbs. Its rapid metabolism can convert sugars into energy very quickly. This, of course, results in ectomorph having a problem of gaining muscle mass. It does not have muscle type II (rapidly oxidizing) developed sufficiently. However, this does not mean that it cannot increase strength. Can ectomorph gain muscle mass? It's not impossible. To increase body weight, however, he has to eat much more than other body types. Even after successful weight gain, their calves and forearms may still look poor.
2. Mesomorph - does not look poor, but not rounded. It has wide shoulders, narrow waist, small joints. The figure is located between the ectomorph and the endomorph. His character is "naturally athletic" or muscular, even without a daily fitness visit. However, this does not mean that mesomorph does not need to exercise and can eat anything. It is true that this type of character can get back into shape more quickly. Easier weight gain and also lose excess fat.
3.Endomorph - shorter limbs, broad hips and rib cage. The largest of somatotypes. They gain body weight quickly, but with a lot of fat. Their body stores energy in the muscles and fats in the lower body. It is very difficult for them to keep their fitness and weight in norm. Like previous somatotypes, the endomorph can be fit. It can excel in higher weight for easy weight gain. However, if it stops keeping in shape, the road to fitness will be very difficult.
How do I find out which type of character fits on me?
One of the most used ways to find out is the Heath-Carter method. Using this method it is possible to determine the somatotype of your character. It measures the shape and composition of your body. The result is a three-digit number, each number designating endomorphic, mesomorphic and ectomorphic elements. The element values range from 1 (low) to 7 (high). A worksheet with values is used for the elaboration. From the finite number we can then determine if our character is more endomorphic (eg 6-2-2), mesomorphic (eg 3-5-2), or ectomorphic (eg 3-3-5). From the result, you can also determine which sport you fit more with the character.
What causes someone to be born as an ectomorph and other than an endomorph?
The most important genetically congenital features that influence the character's somatotype are:
Physical features - height, length, width, muscle mass, adipose tissue
Personality traits - emotionality, sociability
Sexual orientation
Mental disorders
Fat distribution and genetics
"I will gain weight even if I drink a glass of water." Each of us takes fat into different parts and in different amounts. Do you think a person can have total control of fat distribution? This is not entirely true.
Fat distribution in our body is influenced by four basic factors:
Genes - According to a 2017 study, nearly 50% of the fat distribution in our body is affected by genetics.
Gender - women gain weight in other parts of the body (hips and buttocks) than men (abdomen). In addition, the female body contains 14 to 31% fat, while the male body contains 6 to 24%.
Age - slower metabolism and loss of muscle mass results in older people having more fat in their bodies.
Hormones - hormone levels and weight interact, especially after the age of 40. This is due to the natural loss of estrogen and testosterone.
Is the amount of fat also recorded in our DNA?
The fact that the amount of fat in our body affects our DNA is confirmed by the 2007 discovery. As a result, some variation of the FTO gene was associated with excessive body fat, obesity, and type 2 diabetes.
However, this discovery cannot be taken as a "overweight judgment." Just because you have this variant of the FTO gene does not mean that you will surely suffer from obesity. Rather, the variant causes a susceptibility to obesity. Research carried out on schoolchildren in Scotland shows a link between higher-weight children and a variant of the FTO gene. Tests showed that the FTO variant did not cause slow metabolism. The problem was the amount of high-calorie food.
If you are not careful about your diet and sufficient exercise, the FTO gene will be responsible for your weight gain. There is no need to worry about excessive weight gain in a balanced diet and sport activity.
It's not fat like fat
It should not be forgotten that fat is beneficial in our body. It depends on the amount of fat and its type. Our body contains three types of fat:
Subcutaneous - located directly under the skin and on the muscle surface. It accounts for 90% of our fat repository. We can change its amount.
Visceral - fat that envelops our organs, such as the liver. It cannot be felt or caught. However, its lack or surplus may cause health problems.
Brown - the type of fat that keeps our body temperature. It occurs in the area of the shoulders and back.
What about hormones and genetics?
Hormones are very important for muscle growth. Some directly and some only indirectly. Testosterone, growth hormone and insulin-like growth hormone are responsible for muscle strength and growth. Cortisol, adrenaline, norepinephrine and glucagon provide fuel (glucose).
The level of testosterone in a man's body changes over the course of life. In addition, two men of the same age may not have exactly the same testosterone level. However, in 2011, researchers found that low testosterone levels may be due to genetic predisposition. The genetic variants of SHBG (sex hormone-binding globulin) and the 10th chromosome are associated with low testosterone levels. Its low levels can cause cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and others. However, why every man does not have the same testosterone level is a mystery to scientists so far.
No less important hormone for muscle growth is growth hormone. However, it also affects the growth of the child. Its deficit is unusual, affecting 1 in 5,000 people. The fact that you will probably gain fat more easily in old age must not be a reason for resignation. The more we know about our body, metabolism, or genes, the better we can direct our organism towards a healthy path.
All the combinations of information in our DNA make us original. Most important of all, however, is potential. Knowing your somatotype is very helpful because it affects our training and diet plan. Still, whatever the proportion of cross-striated tissue types, motivation is more important. Genetics seems relentless, but the result is up to you. Remember, our body needs fat but the right amount. The rest is about renunciation, hard work and self-control.
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