Health Care and Muscle Tone

The common craze after the outset of any New Year is to be happy and healthy. One of the most common resolutions people consider is to lose weight and get fit. Of course, after a few trips to the gym in January, and possibly even February, many of those fair weather wellness fanatics give up and are back in the same rut as they were in the old year. Too bad! For a few extra minutes per day, most of those individuals would be able to lose a few inches of unneeded fat, and build a better muscle tone to help keep the weight off as time moves on.

Muscle is mainly made up of protein, according to Hella Wella’s report by Dr. John Cuomo, Executive Director of research and development at USANA Health Sciences. Therefore, protein metabolism (breaking protein down into amino acids and combining those amino acids into new proteins) is critical for muscle building. Collagen is also made of protein and is the connective tissue in muscle that anchors muscles to bone. In addition, muscle function is dependent on energy production. The energy used by all cells is called ATP. Glucose (carbohydrate) is a key fuel for ATP production. Bodies uses glucose as the main fuel to produce energy in all cells, including muscle cells. Are you getting all of your vitamins? Here are five vitamins you need to build up muscle strength:

1. Vitamin D--Vitamin D plays a very important role in immune and muscle function. There are numerous studies showing that vitamin D is essential for overall immune system function. Studies have shown that proper vitamin D levels in the body are associated with muscle strength and performance.

USANA research shows that to have an optimal range of vitamin D in the body, most people need to take 4000 to 6000 IU supplemental vitamin D every day. USANA’s Vitamin D supplement has 2000 IU of vitamin D per tablet. Keep in mind that vitamin D is also required for the uptake and utilization of calcium and phosphorous — and both of these minerals are required for muscular contraction and function as well as bone growth and strength. Phosphorous is also required for ATP production and energy metabolism.

2. Omega-3 fats--Fish Oil or the omega-3 fats in fish oil may decrease muscle protein breakdown. This may be through improvements in insulin sensitivity, and insulin resistance is associated with muscle breakdown. There is also a new study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showing that fish oil helps enhance the effect of strength training in elderly women. Fish oil is most commonly obtained through supplements and food, such as a variety of fish.

3. Vitamin C--Vitamin C is important for our muscles, and we need it to function properly. Vitamin C is required for collagen and elastin synthesis, and it is also an important supplement to take daily because it’s responsible for the health of the blood vessels, which support the muscles’ needs for oxygen and nutrients. Good sources of vitamin C include broccoli, tomatoes, strawberries, and grapefruit.

4. Vitamin E--Vitamin E is a very important antioxidant that helps cell membrane recovery from oxidative stress. Cell membrane reliability is essential for cellular function and growth. To add vitamin E into your diet, try almonds, spinach, carrots, and avocados. Many different oils are also good sources of vitamin E, such as olive oil, corn oil, canola oil, and sunflower oil.

5. B vitamins--An array of B vitamins are essential to muscle strength and tone:

• B1 (thiamin) is important for protein metabolism and the formation of hemoglobin. Hemoglobin carries oxygen to cells, including muscle cells, and without oxygen energy, production is compromised. B1 nutrients can be found in cereal, bread, meat, rice, and nuts.

• B2 (riboflavin) is involved in energy metabolism, glucose metabolism, the oxidation of fatty acids, with some effects on protein metabolism. B2 nutrients can be found in cheese, eggs, milk, and peas. B3 (niacin) is essential for energy production.

• B3 nutrients can be found in milk, eggs, fish, legumes, and potatoes.

• B6 (pyridoxine) is important for protein metabolism, growth, and carbohydrate utilization. B6 nutrients can be found in soybeans, butter, brown rice, and fish.

• B12 (cyanocobalamin) is important for the maintenance of nerve tissue and is essential for the metabolism of fats and carbohydrates, energy metabolism, and cell regeneration. B12 nutrients can be found in milk, poultry, eggs, meat, and liver.

• B7 (biotin) is important for amino acid metabolism, and amino acids are the building blocks of protein. Good sources of B7 include mushrooms, egg yolk, beef liver, and brewer’s yeast.

But building muscle tone still requires work. According to CoachCalorie.com, building muscle is not as easy as most people think. It takes hard work, planning, and an awareness of what stimulates muscle growth. The following 10 muscle building tips will help you take your fitness program to the next level, found at this website: http://www.coachcalorie.com/muscle-building-tips-increase-muscle-tone/ .

According to the media partner of Lance Armstrong Foundation, found at www.LiveStrong.com , here are 5 tips for building muscle tone:

1. Watch Your Diet--Diet plays an integral role in building good muscle tone. High protein diets help your body to build muscle definition. Vitamin rich diets, popularized by many fitness buffs, help the body burn fat and increase lean muscle mass. Watching your calorie intake is important, but it should be relative to your size, body type and workout regimen. Average caloric intake is often not right for everyone, so ask your nutritionist or doctor how many calories you should consume each day.

2. Drink Water to Stay Hydrated--Muscles need the purification properties of water in order to regenerate, so keep them lubricated with at least 40 ounces of water a day. If you're training to increase muscle tone, your body will be begging for more water. Drinking water during your workout also keeps the body hydrated and allows the muscles to stay pliable and healthy while you are exercising. Continual fluid intakes keeps the body flushed of toxins and impurities.

3. Rest Your Body--Working out every day is not good for your body and will lead to muscle fatigue, which will eventually impede muscle growth and definition. Interspersing your workout with days of rest is important to keep the body rejuvenated and properly functioning. In a typical regimen, you might work your upper body on Mondays and Thursdays and your lower body on Tuesdays and Fridays, with days off on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. You can do cardio, such as running or swimming, four or five days a week. Variations in your daily routine also keep the body guessing. Muscles build with a variety of exercises. Toning happens when the muscles are continually challenged by different activities, so changing your workout routine will do wonders to build muscle tone.

4. To Lift or Not to Lift--It is all the rage to hear phrases like "use high reps and low weights," or "do cardio, cardio and more cardio" from experts advising you on how to build muscle tone. However, building muscle tone is particular to each person and a workout routine should ideally fit the individual. Some bodies respond well to high rep/low weight workouts while others do not. The goal of weight training is to build muscle definition by performing your exercises properly. Find a trainer or workout partner to help you maintain good form during your exercises; it will do much more for your definition than simply doing many repetitions of an exercise improperly.

5. Other Cardio Options--Aerobic exercise is vital to weight loss and burns fat to reveal the body's natural muscle tone. However, you don't have to run until exhaustion to define your body. Sports like cycling, badminton, basketball, dance or yoga are excellent ways to get a cardiovascular workout. Finding an aerobic activity that fits your personality and interests will do more for you than simply running on a treadmill for 30 minutes a day. According to several research studies, you will burn more calories and fat doing cardio activities you enjoy as opposed to activities you find boring and tedious.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/9751-need-building-muscle-tone/#ixzz2H13u1wwS .

Don’t be a New Year floozie. Make the commitment to get healthier this year, and stick with it. You’ll be glad you did. And, you’ll look and feel better, with improved health and muscle tone.

Until next time.