Exercise and Nutrition
You Need Fuel To Move
Let’s get into a bit of basic biology to understand how to body uses fuel. We will start with basic muscle structure before moving onto how the muscle uses fuel. The aim is help you with meal planning in relation to your goals, just dieting isn’t helpful, understanding nutrition in relation to movement starts to help you piece things together with ease to keep you in control.
Muscle is made up of individual fibres which are individually wrapped in Endomysium. Endomysium contains the vessels and nerves that supply the muscle fibres. The fibres are packaged in a bundle of 15-20 fibres wrapped in another substance called the perimysium which is also a connective tissue, this is known as the fasciculus. Fasciculus collectively build fasciculae which is the belly of skeletal muscle. Fasciculae is covered in a third connective tissue called epimysium. This merges into the fascia and tendon which attach muscle to bone.
Skeletal Muscle Microstructure- Oxygen and nutrients are delivered to the muscle via blood flow. Nutrients (fats, glucose, proteins and enzymes) are carried in a liquid called sarcoplasm which bathes the muscle fibres- this produces energy and allows for chemical reactions to occur.
Myofibrilla make up muscle fibers in their hundreds- these are surrounded by sarcolemma which allows nerves to connect. Mitochondria are interspersed between myofibrils providing sites for fats and glucose which allows mitochondria to produce energy which results in a muscle contraction.
Myofibrils within the sarcomere contain contractile called sarcomeres- this is known as the functioning unit of the cell where muscular contractions occur. The thick filament on the sarcomere is made up of contractile protein myosin and the thin filament made up of contractile protein actin.
Sliding Filament Theory
This Video explains Sliding Filament Theory with some great visuals for those of you who are visual learners.
Sliding filament theory explains how the proteins which together with the connective tissue explain how muscle contractions happen. In the Sarcomere there is store of calcium called the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) calcium is what causes the muscle to contract and for sliding filament to happen. In sliding filament theory we have 2 proteins, these are called actin and myosin, calcium causes myosin binds to actin to pull itself along the actin filament (Pinterest exercise physiology and Pinterest Muscles and Movement) this causes a contraction which looks like the swelling of the muscle belly. If you pull your forearm toward your shoulder for a bicep curl you are contracting the belly of the bicep.
Following on from here the blood vessels of the bicep are filled and soaked in nutrients from the blood (glucose, fats, ad proteins) as above, if you are not fueled for movement you will fatigue quickly and reduce your potential to build/gain strength or muscle.
Nutrients
Nutrients come from food, glucose from carbohydrates which is energy providing stamina and endurance, fats as a secondary energy source as well protective mechanism that looks after the muscle fibres and organs, and proteins which repair damage done by exercise. To read or learn more about them visit our article Making Diet & Food Easy.
Diet and Exercise help support a healthy mind, sleep, rest, recovery and the achieving of personal goals, you don’t know need to become a Gym bro, Marathon runner, CrossFitter, Triathathlete or a Yoga mystic. Understanding the basic science of exercise and nutrition will go a long way to help you create an adaptable personalised well-being blueprint with ease so you can discern information in health and wellness that is relevant to you from that that isn’t.
I hope you enjoyed this article and took some useable knowledge from it to help you understand your biology and meet your needs in relation to your goals. Please leave a comment, press the heart button and share it to help more people take control of their health, well-being and fitness.
Samantha
