Muscle Growth, scientifically proven to improve muscle performance

A little anatomy reminder : Muscles are made up of a set of fibers (fiber bundles), themselves made up of myofibrils which contain the proteins responsible for muscle contraction: actin and myosin filaments. There are several main types of muscle fibers:

• Slow fibers, type 1: These fibers are involved during prolonged efforts (endurance) and maintain their red color due to their high vascularity. These fibers contract slowly and do not gain volume: they only hypertrophy very little; endurance athletes are said to be “dry”.
• Fast fibers, type 2: These fibers are involved in short-term efforts and will, conversely, have a high hypertrophy potential. They are less red in color, more white because they have less blood and more nervous tissue, essential for rapid contractions.

Muscle construction will occur by repeatedly reproducing a muscle contraction, and to contract, the fibers need ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate), an energy reserve which is quickly depleted but which is powerful enough to initiate contraction (like a starter).

Some basic rules in building muscle: Building beautiful muscles requires effort, perseverance and sweat!

- Muscle growth is caused by the synthesis of proteins in the muscle used.

- Hormones are involved in muscle growth. Testosterone in particular, a male hormone, explains muscle structure which is generally more important in men than in women. Note that growth hormone (GH) is not directly responsible for muscle growth, rather acting at the level of the tendons.

- Heredity also plays a key role, we are not all equal, some have more physical predispositions. The variety of muscle fiber types varies from person to person.

3 elements therefore for good muscle growth: (1) Training, (2) Nutrition and (3) Supplementation.

(3) Regarding supplementation, the role of proteins is central in building muscle: When you want to develop your muscles, the number 1 priority is protein intake. They allow the construction of muscle fibers and are provided partly by food, partly by an external supply, in particular via protein powder or even in bars, during snacks. Protein is essential for building your muscles. The amounts of this macronutrient you consume throughout the day matter more than what you eat directly after your workout. Protein supplementation is beneficial because the body can only absorb 20 g of protein per meal. In doing so, to supplement this intake, it is possible to take whey ( rapid assimilation, stimulation of protein synthesis), protein isolate and/or for vegans, Vegan protein .

The corollary of these protein intakes is the need to have in parallel supplementation with isolated amino acids to optimize their synthesis. BCAAs (a combination of L-Leucine, L-Valine and Isoleucine) are the amino acids to consume as a priority for good muscle building because they have a strong anti-catabolic action, accelerating muscle recovery, improving synthesis proteins for L-Leucine. BCAAs will allow you to maintain a positive nitrogen balance even during intensive training periods. Stimium Laboratories have chosen BCAAs enriched with L-Glutamine to optimize protein synthesis even more effectively during the muscle building phase.

In addition to these 2 standards, there are other products that will increase muscle development during training. Citrulline is not only an active ingredient of interest for endurance, it is a precursor of nitric oxide, which dilates blood vessels, strengthening vascularity and muscle congestion and improving the distribution of nutrients in the muscle fibers used. Citrulline buffers lactic acid and thus helps delay muscle burning. Hormonal boosters like tribulus terrestris or GABA .

PreWorkouts are generally NO boosters containing creatine, caffeine, and other nitric oxide precursors, allowing oxygenation and strengthening muscle contractions, in addition to causing very effective muscle congestion .

Tribulus terrestris is also an interesting active ingredient because it promotes the natural production of testosterone. Combined with another stimulant such as Ginseng , and well-dosed vitamins and minerals , it provides maximum effects, well-being, more energy, more aggressiveness during training, better libido and mass gain. muscular.

Creatine is also a must have. It helps improve strength capabilities, as well as glycogen retention in muscle fibers. Regular intake of creatine allows the stores in the muscles to rise to saturation, thereby increasing the amount of energy available for short, intense exercises.

Omega 3s are useful when gaining weight because these lipids cannot be produced by the body. In addition to their recognized effect on cardiovascular health, they also have anti-inflammatory properties and promote recovery.

During periods of muscle building, the needs of athletes are very important because they are subject to intense and frequent exercises. Vitamins and minerals are essential for many physiological functions such as muscle contraction.

Collagen peptides in the context of intense muscle growth will have a preventive and curative action on tendons, joints and cartilage subjected to significant sessions. Kolaflex an interesting food supplement for those who want to take care of their joints, who suffer from tendinitis and moderate joint pain.

Training - The Time Scale in muscle building.

For a beginner who starts training, we will be able to have a first result quite quickly, generally around 4 weeks, but this initial gain in strength will have its origin in better coordination and adaptation of the nervous system, more than an immediate effect of your sessions. It is rather from 8 weeks, having maintained 2 to 3 weeks per week, that it will be possible to generate muscle growth, and therefore see certain muscles take shape. The key criterion for good muscle building is therefore patience, because it is the repetition of training which will make it possible to obtain fibers more resistant to micro-injuries. With structured muscle training (if you are able to easily do more than 10 repetitions of your series, change exercises or do a more difficult variation) progressive (minimum 24 hours of rest between 2 sessions, especially when working on only one muscle group (the legs for example) even if we recommend alternating between the upper and lower body, and a balanced diet, particularly rich in proteins, it is a safe bet that whatever the genetic heritage, the muscles will develop With a good training plan, intelligent series working certain muscle groups with the right postures (to avoid injuries), and repetitions adapted to your objectives, in the gym or at home, back muscles, abs or quadriceps for example will appear naturally!