The Best Choice: Build Muscle, Unlock your Healthiest Self

You might have heard that muscle is also called the ‘organ of longevity’

Podcast

On 9 July 2020, I recorded a podcast with @Wildmanstrengthpt Taylor Thompson. Our discussion was mainly focused on the benefits of muscle growth, strength and power training for health, longevity and independence in old age. In that occasion, Taylor also presented his Wildman Strength & Longevity protocol for the first time. However, as we ran short of time, some topics were left uncovered, which are relevant to the process of muscle growth – such as micronutrient intakes and supplements. While you can read about, and watch the podcast here, I will attempt to give my 2 cents on what I consider to be the best hacks for muscle building in this post.

Sarcopenia and mortality

Before we dig into muscle building, it is important to understand why it is so important to our health. To do so, let’s start from the definition, and health implications of ‘sarcopenia’. The the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) has defined sarcopenia as ‘the loss of muscle mass plus low muscle strength or low physical performance‘.

To asses how sarcopenia relates to human health, several studies were conducted between 2013 and 2014, in different countries and regions. What all those studies found was a strong correlation between sarcopenia and increased mortality in elderly population (80-85 years of age) (Arago-Lopera et al. 2013, Duchowny 2019, Landi et al. 2012, Landi et al. 2013). What it means, is that sarcopenia can be thought of as the direct responsible for natural mortality. Consequently, it also means that the more muscle you carry and the stronger you are, the lesser chances you have to die from sarcopenia.

Therefore, building as much muscle as possible at a young age can delay or prevent sarcopenia, hence extending one’s lifespan.

Power and independence in old age

Moreover, other studies have specifically associated strength and power training with increased functionality and independence in old age (De Vos 2008, Hazell 2007, Marsh et al. 2009). What this means, is that building significant strength and power at a young age can also extend one’s lifespan.

For these reasons, I like to refer to muscle as ’the bank of longevity’: invest in muscle now, live a better future.

How do we build muscle?

The four most important elements for muscle growth

1. Resistance training

In order to grow, muscle needs to be stimulated. Muscle growth is indeed a consequence of the body adapting to a consistent stimulus. As is of common knowledge, the highest hypertrophic response is achieved within a 8-12 rep range performed at 60-80% 1RM. However, sets of 5-6 reps can also promote hypertrophy, while building strength at the same time.

2. Leucine

This is by far the most important amino acid for muscle building, as it acts with insulin to activate the mTor pathway, which is responsible for cell metabolism and growth. To activate mTor, just as little as 2.5g of leucine are necessary, corresponding to 80-120g red meat, poultry or seafood; 17g whey protein isolate; 3 eggs; 70g hard cheese; 140g cottage cheese; 400g tofu (not very practical); 380g lentils (not very practical, either); 120g almonds (again, not very practical) (source: https://www.sportsdietitians.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/110701-Protein-Supplementation_General.pdf). While all protein-containing foods are great to build muscles, those high in leucine play the most important role in the process.

3. Carbohydrates

Although dietary carbohydrates are non essential nutrients in the human diet, meaning that the body can manufacture glucose from fat and protein (the process is known as ‘gluconeogenesis’), post exercise carbohydrate intake facilitates insulin production, activating the mTor pathway, and creating the ideal environment for muscle protein synthesis. However, highly processed carbohydrates (such as high-fructose corn syrup) can play a detrimental role in insuline sensitivity, in the long term. Therefore, try to prioritise fruit, raw honey, starches, gluten-free grains and legumes.

4. Sleep

Muscle is stimulated in the gym, nourished with adequate leucine and carbs but it is regenerated while resting. Human growth hormone (HGH), which is responsible for all growth mechanisms in the body, is indeed secreted by the anterior pituitary gland while sleeping. Adequate sleep is therefore crucial to muscle building. Furthermore, an optimised sleep-wake cycle regulates the melatonin-cortisol ratio, hence reducing stress and promoting muscle-building even more.

My favourite supplements for muscle growth

1. Pre Workout. L-Arginine

It is a precursor of nitric oxide and has two important roles, as it:

stimulates blood production – potentially facilitating nutrient delivery in the muscles –
has been shown to increase growth hormone levels in the blood.

Even though the literature on taking L-Arginine supplements is still controversial and further research is probably needed to confirm its efficacy, taking 3 g dissolved in 50ml water as a pre-workout can potentially increase both performance and muscle growth.

2 Intra Workout. EEAA (essential amino acids)

To sustain high-volume workouts, dissolving 15g EEAA in 500ml water, with ¼ tsp Himalayan salt and 1tsp unsweetened berry jam or organic honey has become a must for me. During high volume training, glycogen stores might run low, so sipping high GI sugars (from berry jam or honey) will replenish glycogen fast, while adding EEAA will prevent further energy from being taken from muscle fibres. I also add Himalayan salt to replenish the electrolytes that get lost through sweat.

3 Post Workout. L-Glutamine and Creatine

Glutamine is a conditionally essential amino acid, meaning that, although it is produced by our body in otherwise sufficient amounts, in particularly stressful circumstances, the body tends to run low and it needs to be replenished. 5-10g post workout are proven to speed up recovery in some trial studies (e.g. Legault et al. 2015).
Creatine is a compound produced by the liver, made from the amino acids arginine, glycine and methionine. As you might know, it is also used by the muscle cells to produce energy. Therefore, ensuring that creatine stores are always full, assists muscle recovery and facilitates energy production in muscles. The debate as to whether it is advisable to assume creatine before or after a workout is still open, however I personally prefer adding 1 scoop to my post-workout whey protein shake, alongside l-glutamine.

4 Before Bed. Tryptophan

Tryptophan is a precursor of both melatonin and serotonin (the happiness hormone). Melatonin being essential for HGH production and release, drinking 3g of tryptophan with 50ml water before bed can potentially facilitate muscle growth.

Conclusion

Even though the debate is still open as to whether taking supplements can significantly improve muscle growth, research seems to unanimously agree on the health benefits of muscle mass, as well as on the functional role of strength and power training. One more caveat concerns the quality of supplements.

Indeed, the supplement industry is a relatively new one, and substantial studies on long-term supplementation lack to this day – to give an example, tryptophan was banned for well over a decade (from 1990 to 2005), as tryptophan produced by a certain company was proven to cause eosinophilia myalgia syndrome (EMS), due to toxins elicited by the genetically-modified bacteria used by that company in its fermentation process (you can read the full story here). Whether deciding to take supplements to help muscle growth is your choice – and so are the potential risks involved – you can surely control the quality of such supplements. Here are some easy tips to do so:

make sure you read labels carefully and avoid those with too many additives (these are usually encoded as an ‘E-numbers’ code, so you basically want to avoid as many ‘E’s as possible);
try to always choose the brand which contains the highest possible percentage of supplement (and the lowest of additives);
before purchasing supplements from an unknown brand, do some research and check if, and how many peer-reviewed studies exist on that specific product: even though such studies might be highly biased by the interests of the supplement company, reading through what some scientists have found out about a product, is always better than knowing nothing at all.

Remember, when it comes to health, make sure you always choose quality over quantity. Stay strong everyone!