Want to Build Muscles? IGNORE This Advice
By
Dr. Scott Olson, ND
Posted August 22, 2017
Dear Living Well Daily Reader,
It’s the type of nonsense that makes me want to pull my hair out!
Medical researchers have been OBSESSED with genetics for decades now… and they’ve been coming out with some of the craziest studies I’ve ever seen.
Case in point? A new study out of Cambridge claims to have discovered the genes for strength.
They want you to believe that 18 tiny genes determine whether you look like the Incredible Hulk… or whether you get sand kicked in your face.
So time to stop exercising and get caught up on M.A.S.H. re-runs?
Not exactly. Because there’s something about building muscles that these scientists have gotten dead wrong.
And giving up on your muscles could cost you your health… and even your life.
You don’t need the kinds of muscles to put Arnold Schwarzenegger to shame… or to arm wrestle Chuck Norris.
But you want to be strong and sturdy enough to avoid bone-breaking falls… and to keep tasks like walking the dog or carrying groceries from injuring you.
Having strong lean body mass helps us to look and feel great. But most of us don’t know how important muscle mass is to our health.
Muscle mass is important because:
- It’s key to losing or maintaining weight. Most of your metabolism is determined by how much muscle mass you have. That is because muscles burn more energy than anything else on your body. Want a higher metabolism? Get more muscle.
- Muscle strength has been reported to be associated with many health outcomes, including risk of death, cardiovascular disease, and fractures in the elderly.
- The more muscle mass you have the higher bone density.
- Muscles mass is strongly correlated to blood sugar control.
Not only that, if you could tell me how much muscle mass you have, I could tell you how long you are likely to live.
Muscle mass is a better predictor of longevity than almost any measure.
Those are all good reason to make sure you are supporting good muscle mass.
But, if your genes determine your muscle mass (like that study suggests), why even try?
Here is the secret that no one is telling you: You can build muscle as you age AND you want to build muscle as you age (no matter which genes you have).
Dr. Scott’s Plan for Building Muscle:
- Make sure you are exercising the RIGHT way: This is a no-brainer – you have to move around to build muscle. But, it doesn’t have to be anything crazy. Walking is good enough.
- Eat Plenty of Protein: All proteins are needed for muscle building, but the most important proteins are the branched-chain amino acids (especially leucine). Beef, chicken, nuts, and seafood are all rich in leucine.
- Keep Your Diet Balanced: Building muscle requires a lot of vitamins and minerals, so make sure you are eating well and take supplements (a multi-vitamin is a good place to start) to fill in those nutritional gaps. If you’re having problems with energy or fatigue, CoQ10 may be a supplement worth trying.
Take these steps, and I promise you’ll build muscle… no matter what your genetic scorecard says.
Health and Happiness,
Dr. Scott Olson, ND
PS: Many women are worried about muscle building because they don’t want to look like a body-builder, but the few women who are able to bulk up do so with extreme measures (eating tons of protein and exercising 8-10 hours a day). You are unlikely to come anywhere close to building that much muscle, so keep up the exercise!
Ed. Note: Please send your feedback: feedback@livingwelldaily.com – and click here to like us on Facebook.
Written By Dr. Scott Olson, ND
Nearly 25 years ago, failed mainstream medical treatments left Dr. Olson in constant pain – and his health in ruins. And that’s when he did something REVOLUTIONARY. He began his career in medicine – and dedicated his life to uncovering the true, underlying causes of disease.
Through his innovative medical practices in Tennessee and Colorado, Dr. Olson has helped cure countless seniors from across America of arthritis… heart disease… diabetes… and even cancer. All without risky prescription drugs or painful surgeries.
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