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Why Women Should Not Be Afraid of Gaining Muscle
by Charles Poliquin
Increasing your muscle mass and bone mass has a myriad of health benefits.
Here is what you should know before you frown upon on gaining a few kilos of muscle mass:
1. The more muscle and bone mass you have, the greater the acid buffering power you create. That is, you now have more protein, potassium, magnesium and calcium to buffer the acidity in your body. The more alkaline you are:
- the greater the endurance potential of the body
- the greater your immune power is, the better your chances at surviving cancer or the swine flu.
2. According to Tufts University, the greater your muscle mass the greater the longevity potential. It is, in fact, the number one biomarker of longevity. It is a far better predictor of longevity than total cholesterol or blood pressure.
3. The more muscle you have, the more insulin receptor sites you have, and the more sensitive they will be. Increased muscle prevents diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Translation: the more muscle you have, the easier it is to have low body fat.
4. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn at rest. It is estimated that for every pound of muscle you gain you burn an extra 50 calories a day.
5. The more muscle you have, the more strength you have. This, according to the same researchers at Tufts University, is the number two predictor of longevity. For women, strength is empowering.
6. In my thirty years of experience as a strength coach, for every kilo of lean tissue gained, there was an equal loss of weight in body fat. In other words, the body composition changed dramatically. For example, a female executive with a 60 kg bodyweight with 20 % body fat has 12 kg of fat. If, in 10 weeks, she gains 4 kg of muscle mass and loses 4 kg of fat, her body fat will now be 13%. With these body composition changes, not only will she feel more empowered, but her body will look fantastic!