Strong, healthy muscles aren’t just important for body builders or gym enthusiasts. Your muscles also support movement such as walking, talking, eating, sitting or standing while providing stability, balance and flexibility. It doesn’t matter whether you’re young or old, it’s never too late to build muscle strength with resistance training and specific supplement support.

Resistance training

Resistance training (also known as strength or weight training) done on a consistent basis makes your muscles stronger. Australian guidelines currently recommend resistance training on at least two days each week and resistant training can range from lifting free weights to walking in the pool. The health benefits of resistance training include:

• improved muscle strength and tone to protect joints from injury
• improved flexibility, mobility, balance and posture
• weight management – as you gain muscle, your body burns more kilojoules when at rest
• greater stamina – as you grow stronger, you won’t get tired as easily
• pain management

Building healthy muscle strength

Consuming a variety of good quality proteins in your diet is essential for strong, healthy muscles. Protein prevents muscle breakdown and damage, maintains muscle mass for increased strength, supports performance, enhances recovery, increases fat burning and improves body composition. In conjunction with protein, Bulgarian Tribulus, L-Glutamine and Vitamin D3 can also help to maintain strong, healthy muscles: 

• Bulgarian Tribulus Provides a long traditional use for both men and women to increase muscle strength, due to its naturally high content of the steroidal saponin protodioscin. Bulgarian Tribulus is the only Tribulus that has been clinically trialled and can easily be identified by the plant part used; Bulgarian Tribulus uses the aerial parts (herb) whereas Indian Tribulus uses the fruit. Bulgarian Tribulus signals the hypothalamus in the brain to start producing luteinising hormone (LH), and when LH levels are increased, the natural production of testosterone also increases. Testosterone is important for muscle building and strength

• L-Glutamine Mainly produced and stored in skeletal muscles where it represents around 60% of the total free amino acid pool and makes up 4-5% of muscle protein. Strenuous exercise can deplete L-Glutamine levels by around 20% and supplementing with L-Glutamine helps with sports recovery to preserve muscle levels and to maintain healthy muscle function

• Vitamin D3 Identical to the vitamin D produced naturally by your body, vitamin D3 is important for building muscle strength and improving bone density and strength. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with muscle weakness, particularly the upper legs, knees and hips which can result in heaviness of the legs, difficulty in mounting stairs and rising from a chair. Supplementing with vitamin D3 has been found to improve muscle strength, walking distance, functional ability and to reduce the risk of falls and non-vertebral fractures in elderly people. 

 

Mr Vitamins recommends

Herbs of Gold Products for building muscle strength

Find out more and shop on-line to build your muscle strength below

• Bulgarian Tribulus Complex
• L-Glutamine 750
• Vitamin D3 1000

References Akram, M, Asif, HM, Akhtar, N, Shah, PA, Uzair, M, Shaheen, G, Shamim, T, Ali Shah, SM & Ahmad, K, 2011, ‘Tribulus terrestris linn.: a review article,’ Journal of Medicinal Plants Research, vol. 5, iss. 16, pp.3601-3605. Braun L & Cohen M (2010), Herbs & Natural Supplements: An evidence-based guide, 3^rd Edition, Elsevier, Sydney. Ganzera, M, Bedir, E & Khan, IA, 2001, ‘Determination of steroidal saponins in Tribulus terrestris by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography and evaporative light scattering detection,’ Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, vol. 90, Iss. 11, pp. 1752-1758. Health Benefits Of Muscular Strength & Endurance viewed on 02/11/16 at http://www.livestrong.com/article/84419-health-benefits-muscular-strength-/ Janssen, C.J.P. et al (2002) Vitamin D deficiency, muscle function, and falls in elderly people The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Physical activity guidelines, Retrieved on 06/08/2014 from http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/health-pubhlth-strateg-phys-act-guidelines/$File/FS-Adults-18-64-Years.PDF Pizzorno JE & Murray MT (2013), Textbook of Natural Medicine, 4^th Edition, Elsevier, Missouri. Resistance training – health benefits viewed on 02/11/16 at https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/resistance-training-health-benefits Risk factors and physical inactivity, Retrieved on 08/08/2014 from http://www.aihw.gov.au/risk-factors-physical-inactivity/ Zimmermann M (2001), Burgerstein’s Handbook of Nutrition; Micronutrients in the Prevention and Therapy of Disease, 9^th Edition, Thieme, New York.