Heat Shock Proteins
have been
written about lately as possibly being another major factor in the
building of muscle mass in an
effective
workout routine.
First off, heat shock proteins, aka
HSPs,
are proteins within the body that increase internally within a muscle
when it’s being subjected to elevated temperatures and a high form of
stress.
(No, this isn’t something you can buy in a bucket or a nutrition bar at
a supplement store.)
HSPs have been shown in the
Journal
of Orthopedic Science and
Journal
of Applied Physiology to
increase
muscle mass and recuperation.
The reason for this is that HSPs cause the activation of the muscle
cells that are responsible for the growth and recovery of muscle tissue.
Also, they increase protein synthesis (which in simple terms means that
the body better utilizes the amino acids within the blood and storage
to build and gain muscle weight).
Now, I don’t want to turn this into some boring, science term-filled
article, but I think you get the point.
These HSPs may be a major piece to the muscle building puzzle.
Exactly what types of “high forms of stress” will stimulate HSPs?
There are several, like
internal
temperature elevation, decreased glucose availability, increased
intracellular calcium levels, and reduced blood flow to the muscle
(
how’s that for a bunch
“scientific-sounding" terms for you........).
The main one I want to briefly address in this article is the last
one…reduced blood flow to the muscle being trained.
In many of my recent articles, which you can read at
http://www.FromSkinnyToMuscular.com/articles.html,
I’ve written on why
training
a muscle
to increase the amount of lactic acid within it, the so-called “burning
sensation”, is so important if building muscle mass naturally is your
main goal.
Well, lactic acid forms as a result of reduced blood flow to the muscle.
Actually, it’s been shown that
the
higher the amount of lactic acid in a muscle the higher the amount of
HSPs being formed.
Also, one of the other factors that stimulates HSPs listed above,
decreased glucose availability, also is achieved by decreased blood
flow to the training muscle…..which, again, can be achieved by going
“for the burn” (lactic acid build-up).
So, once again,
the
lifting of heavier
and heavier weight is not the main factor in building muscle mass and
gaining weight.
Sure, it’s the way to go if pure strength gains is what you’re after,
but
if physically larger
muscles and
a more developed physique is what you’re seeking, the are other more
important factors that you have to seek……like possibly
increasing HSP’s in a trained muscle via going for that lactic acid
burn.
Sincerely,
JP
Firefighter
Certified ACE / IAFF / IAFC Firefighter Peer Fitness Trainer
ABOUT
THE AUTHOR
JP
has
written many articles exposing the many weight training and diet myths
being spread about in the bodybuilding industry and on the internet.
His eBook,
"From
Skinny
To Muscular!", has helped many naturally skinny individuals
gain
muscle size and weight by detailing the training strategies and eating
techniques that actually work at building muscle, instead of strength.
Many of JP's other articles are located at
www.FromSkinnyToMuscular.com/articles.html.
Muscle
Building Secrets Revealed
