Genetics play an important role in determining your body's ability to put on muscle (and its limitations), partly by influencing your hormonal and muscular make-up. But they're not the end-all, be-all. Anabolic hormones -- consisting of growth hormone, estrogen, insulin and testosterone -- are key for muscle building. Contrary to popular belief, estrogen and testosterone are both important for muscle structure and function. Testosterone is responsible for muscle growth, while estrogen improves muscle mass and strength, as well as growing the collagen of connective tissues, such as your bones, ligaments and tendons. Women typically produce more estrogen and less testosterone than men, which is why men often have an easier time with visible muscle growth. The molecular structure of testosterone, an important hormone for muscle growth. Ryan Turner, a registered dietitian, certified specialist in sports dietetics and founder of Food is Fuel NYC. Testosterone helps release growth hormones, which stimulate tissue growth, and it connects with nuclear receptors in DNA, which causes protein synthesis (or muscle growth).
Turner points out that as both men and women age, the reduction of both testosterone and estrogen hormones can result in the breakdown of muscle. Other aspects that can diminish your muscles are fluctuating hormones, such as adrenaline, cortisol and glucagon, which prevent them from growing. That's why it's important to monitor your day-to-day stress, sleep and diet, since these impact those hormones and in turn affect your ability to progress. Another thing that can influence how well you put on muscle are your fast-twitch and slow-twitch muscle fibers. Skeletal muscles are composed of both of these fibers, which serve different purposes and determine your potential athletic ability. Fast-twitch muscle fibers are large and generate quick bursts of energy that are good for exercises such as sprinting, jumping, powerlifting and strength training. On the other hand, slow-twitch muscle fibers are smaller and intended to help you sustain long periods of cardio such as long distance running, swimming, cycling and any type of endurance training.
Anatomy of musculature in a cis Titan Rise Male Enhancement body. We all have fast-twitch and slow-twitch muscle fibers, but genetically some people may be predisposed to have more of one than the other. And fast-twitch fibers are the ones that you need for sizable muscle growth. Research has found that two genes, known as the ACTN3 gene and the ACE gene, heavily influence which muscle fibers we have more of. The ACTN3 gene helps create a protein that is found in fast-twitch muscle fibers, for example, while a genotype known as 577XX can occur across both genes, reducing fast-twitch muscle fibers and increasing slow-twitch fibers. On the other hand, the 577RR genotype is linked to a greater presence of fast-twitch muscle fibers. Tendon length can also determine how big your muscles get. Tendons vary per person, but it's been found that having shorter tendons allow you to gain bigger muscles, while longer tendons make it harder to do so. Still, it's not all about how you're born.