Having a certain amount of muscle mass is important not only for appearance but for health. Most sedentary people have the most muscle they’ll ever have in their 20s and 30s. Unless you work their muscles against resistance, you’ll lose muscle over time and the loss will speed up during late middle age.
Maintaining a certain amount of muscle is vital for staying fully functional and avoiding frailty. Plus, it’s a critical factor for metabolic health. In addition, muscle health correlates with bone health too, as you lose bone tissue with age too. Fortunately, the same movements you do, working your muscles against resistance, helps preserve bone density as well.
Muscle Mass and the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease
You might be surprised to learn that how much muscle you have may also play a role in whether you develop cardiovascular disease. A recent study looked at this issue and came to a surprising conclusion. Subjects who had more skeletal muscle had lower odds of developing cardiovascular disease, at least in men.
The subjects in the study comprised over 1,000 middle-aged participants, more than half of whom were men. At the start of the study, the researchers measured their BMI and determined how much muscle they carried on their frame. They also assessed factors such as lipids, glucose level, blood pressure, and inflammatory markers. Then, they followed the men and women for 10 years to determine their health outcomes.
What did they find? Men who had the highest amount of muscle mass had an 81% lower risk of developing a heart attack or stroke over 10 years relative to those with the lowest quantity of muscle tissue. The association held even after they controlled for other factors that affect the risk of cardiovascular disease. The link between muscle mass and cardiovascular risk was not as strong in women, and the researchers didn’t deem it significant.
Also, the study found a higher level of muscle mass correlated with lower levels of inflammatory markers. That’s important since inflammation plays a role in several chronic health problems, including cardiovascular disease, autoimmune diseases, type 2 diabetes, and cancer. In fact, experts believe inflammation plays a key role in cardiovascular disease since it damages the inner walls of arteries.
This study was observational and doesn’t show having more muscle protects against cardiovascular disease; it just shows an association between the two. It’s also not clear why muscle mass is linked with cardiovascular risk in men, but not in women. It may be because of different hormonal profiles between the genders. Another possibility, according to the researchers, is women develop cardiovascular disease later in men and the study wasn’t long enough for differences to show up.
Why More Muscle Mass is Good for Your Heart
If this study holds up to future scrutiny, it suggests that strength training is a heart-healthy activity and one that could lower the risk of heart attack and stroke. It might not seem that muscle mass would correlate with heart health, but there are some reasons it would. Let’s look at how having more muscle mass could be protective.
More Muscle Helps with Blood Sugar Control
Being insulin resistant increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke. In fact, the leading cause of death in people with type 2 diabetes is cardiovascular disease. A person with type 2 diabetes is 1.7 times more likely to die of cardiovascular disease relative to someone with normal blood sugar readings. One benefit of strength training is it improves insulin sensitivity. How does it do that? Scientists recently discovered that working muscles against resistance increases the level of a protein called APPL1. This protein plays a key role in insulin sensitivity. When it goes up, cells are better able to process glucose more efficiently, and this takes some pressure off the pancreas to produce more insulin.
One of the most powerful ways to improve insulin sensitivity is to lose weight, so you might assume that insulin sensitivity increases because people who strength train lose weight. However, several studies show improvements in insulin sensitivity and blood glucose control even in people who don’t lose excess pounds. One of the smartest things you can do if you have prediabetes and diabetes is to lift weights or work with resistance bands. Studies also show that diabetics lose muscle faster than people with healthy blood sugar levels.
Strength Training Improves Body Composition
Since obesity is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, strength training may lower cardiovascular risk by reducing body fat. Although most people think they should do aerobic exercise to lose weight, strength training helps with weight control too. You still burn calories during a strength workout and strength training gives more of an afterburn than moderate-intensity aerobic exercise. Therefore, when you weight train intensely, you burn more calories even after your workout is over.
To boost the number of calories you burn during strength training, focus on large muscle groups and do more compound exercises, those that work multiple muscle groups at the same time. Think deadlifts, squats, push-ups, and bench press. Using a heavy resistance will create more of an after-burn, which will increase total energy expenditure. If you’re using lighter weights, consider adding a cardio move after each set such as jumping jacks, burpees, or mountain climbers. Get ready to work hard and reap the benefits!
The Bottom Line
Strength training is something everyone needs to preserve health and to stay functional. At least in men, building more muscle mass may also offer cardiovascular benefits. Cardiovascular disease is a leading killer of both men and women, so anything we can do to lower our risk is a positive. Combine strength training with moderate amounts of cardio, exercise that elevates your heart rate, and a healthy diet and you have a recipe for better heart health.
References:
- Tufts Health and Nutrition Letter. “Middle-aged Muscle Mass Associated with Future CVD Risk in Men”
- Everyday Health. “Study Reveals Potential Mechanism in Strength Training That Can Help Reduce Insulin Resistance”
- Tyrovolas S, Panagiotakos D, Georgousopoulou E, et al. Skeletal muscle mass in relation to 10-year cardiovascular disease incidence among middle-aged and older adults: the ATTICA studyJ Epidemiol Community Health 2020;74:26-31.
- Nutr Res Pract. 2010 Aug; 4(4): 259–269.Published online 2010 Aug 31. doi: 10.4162/nrp.2010.4.4.259.
- World J Diabetes. 2015 Oct 10; 6(13): 1246–1258. Published online 2015 Oct 10. doi: 10.4239/wjd.v6.i13.1246.
Related Articles By Cathe:
Do Women Have an Easier Time Maintaining Muscle Mass with Age Than Men?
Does Meal Frequency Have an Impact on Body Composition?
5 Myths about How a Woman’s Body Ages
What Role Does Mechanical Tension Play in Muscle Hypertrophy?
4 Reasons We Lose Strength as a Result of Loss of Muscle as We Age
Related Cathe Friedrich Workout DVDs:
STS Strength 90 Day Workout Program
All of Cathe’s Strength & Toning Workout DVDs
Total Body Workouts
Lower Body Workouts
Upper Body Workouts
