When we think about health and fitness, we often find ourselves focusing on two distinct aspects of our well-being: the strength of our muscles and the vitality of our hearts. For decades, we’ve tried to pursue the perfect balance between building lean muscle mass and maintaining cardiovascular health. But what if we told you that these two seemingly separate areas of physical fitness are intricately intertwined? What if the key to a healthier heart could be found in the gym, amidst the clinking of weights and the rhythmic pulse of a cardio workout?
Recent studies have unveiled a remarkable and perhaps surprising connection between muscle mass and heart health. This emerging body of research is shedding new light on the profound impact our muscles can have on the most vital organ in our bodies. It suggests that the amount of muscle you carry may hold the key to a healthier, more resilient heart, and that the benefits of maintaining and building muscle go far beyond aesthetics and raw strength.
In this blog, we’ll take a look at the muscle-heart connection. We’ll explore the scientific evidence that links muscle mass to heart health and why you should pay attention to this powerful relationship. Whether you’re a fitness enthusiast, an aspiring athlete, or simply someone interested in improving your overall health, the insights we’re about to uncover may just revolutionize the way you approach your fitness journey at AFAC gym in Thornton, Colorado.
The Link Between Heart Health and Building Muscle at the Gym
How does the amount of muscle you have relate to the health of your heart? Recent studies show that having more muscle can actually make your heart healthier.
Heart disease is a big problem worldwide, and is the leading cause of death in the United States. To keep our hearts in good shape, the American Heart Association (AHA) tells us to watch out for seven factors they call “Life’s Simple 7.” These factors include:
- Checking our blood pressure
- Controlling cholesterol
- Keeping our blood sugar levels in check
- Getting enough exercise
- Eating healthy foods
- Losing weight if we need to
- Quitting smoking
Out of these seven, two are all about being active and not carrying too much weight, and they’re both connected to having a healthy heart.
But there’s something else that researchers have started looking at when it comes to heart health, and it’s not just about losing weight. It’s about the muscle in our bodies, especially our skeletal muscles—the ones we use for moving around. As we get older, we tend to lose some of this muscle, and if we don’t stay active, we can lose it even faster. Turns out, losing this muscle might be linked to having an unhealthy heart. While it’s no surprise that being overweight can affect our heart, these new studies give us more to think about. They show that having more muscle can be another way to keep our hearts in good shape.
Study #1
In a study from 2016, scientists looked at how our heart health is connected to the amount of muscle and fat in our bodies. They studied 6,451 people and divided them into four groups based on how much muscle and fat they had:
- People with low muscle and low fat.
- People with low muscle but high fat.
- People with high muscle but low fat.
- People with high muscle and high fat.
They found that having more muscle was linked to a lower chance of dying from heart problems. The group with the most muscle and less fat (group 3) had the lowest risk of heart-related deaths. Surprisingly, even the group with high muscle and high fat (group 4) had a lower risk of heart issues compared to those with low muscle and low fat (group 1). This suggests that having more muscle is good for your heart, even if you have extra fat, and even if you’re considered overweight or obese based on your body mass index (BMI). This study highlights just how important having strong muscles is for keeping your heart healthy.
Study #2
2019 research published in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health suggests that the amount of lean muscle you have when you’re middle-aged can affect your chances of developing heart disease later in life. More specifically, this study showed evidence that maintaining your muscle mass as you age could be a way to protect yourself from heart attacks and strokes.
Muscle mass tends to decrease as we get older, about 3% less every decade after our mid-30s. Our muscles play a vital role in how our bodies work, and losing muscle can lead to problems like disability and a higher risk of dying.
Previous research has shown that having more muscle can lower the risk of heart problems, but those studies looked at people who already had heart disease. This new research wanted to see if muscle mass in middle age could predict future heart health in people who didn’t have heart disease.
The researchers studied 2,020 people, with 1,019 of them being 45 years old or older in 2001-2. None of them had heart disease at the start of the study. Researchers collected information about their lifestyles, like whether they followed a Mediterranean diet and how active they were. They also measured things like blood pressure, weight (using BMI), and blood fats, which can all affect heart disease risk. They calculated muscle mass using data from previous studies and adjusted it for weight and height.
Over the next 10 years, 272 people out of the 1,019 middle-aged participants (about 27%) developed cardiovascular disease, which includes heart attacks and strokes. Men were four times more likely to get cardiovascular disease than women, even after considering other factors.
In addition, researchers looked at whether the amount of muscle mass influenced the risk of cardiovascular disease. They found that the group with the most muscle mass at the beginning of the study had the fewest cases of heart attacks or strokes — as a matter of fact, they were 81% less likely to have one.
Furthermore, people with high muscle mass were also less likely to have high blood pressure, diabetes, or obesity, all of which can lead to heart disease. These folks tended to be the younger part of the middle-aged group, male, smokers, and more active. They also had higher incomes, more education, and followed a Mediterranean-style diet.
Irrespective of well-known risk factors, muscle mass was still linked to lower heart disease risk — but mainly in men. This difference between men and women might be because men naturally have more muscle and because of hormonal differences between the sexes as they age.
So, it seems that staying active, including doing exercises to build muscle, and eating a diet with enough protein, could help you keep your muscle as you get older and protect your heart from problems down the road.
Study #3
Having stronger leg muscles may significantly lower the chances of developing heart failure after a heart attack, according to research presented in May 2023 at the Heart Failure 2023 scientific congress of the European Society of Cardiology.
This discovery emphasizes the importance of regular exercise and maintaining muscle strength, especially as we get older because our muscles tend to weaken as we age, which can affect our heart health.
When someone has a heart attack, their heart can go through changes known as myocardial remodeling or cardiac remodeling. This process can lead to the heart becoming enlarged due to the accumulation of fibrous tissue. But recent evidence shows that exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation can influence this remodeling process in a way that improves heart function.
Cardiac remodeling is the primary reason heart failure occurs after a heart attack. Myokines, which are tiny molecules released by muscle fibers, might have a role in this process.
Exercise might help counteract cardiac remodeling, and studies suggest that skeletal muscles, the ones we use for moving, actually release myokines. These myokines can have various effects, like preventing the buildup of plaque in our arteries, stabilizing blood pressure, and stopping age-related diseases. Keeping our skeletal muscles strong might reduce the risk of heart failure through this myokine process, although the exact details are not clear yet.
In this study, researchers looked at the strength of the quadricep muscles in the front of the thighs in 932 people aged 57 to 74 who had been hospitalized for a heart attack between 2007 and 2020. They discovered that those with lower quadriceps strength had a higher rate of heart failure after a heart attack, with 22.9 cases per 1,000 person-years compared to 10.2 cases per 1,000 person-years in those with stronger quadriceps. Person-years are a way to measure the number of people in a study multiplied by the years they are followed.
This study suggests that measuring quadricep muscle mass could help identify patients at a higher risk of heart failure after a heart attack, allowing for more careful monitoring. It also implies that patients who have had a heart attack should consider strength training for their quadricep muscles to prevent heart failure.
This isn’t the first time scientists have looked at the connection between muscle strength and surviving heart disease. In 2016, a study in the American Journal of Cardiology suggested that muscle mass in the upper arms could relate to better survival rates for people with heart disease.
The new research on leg strength confirms what we already know about managing heart disease — that muscle strength could reduce specific risks after heart-related events. However, there is still more to learn about why some individuals are more affected by heart attacks than others.
After experiencing a heart attack, there are several steps you can take to reduce the risk of further heart problems. The American Heart Association recommends taking medications as prescribed, attending follow-up appointments with your doctor, participating in cardiac rehabilitation, seeking support from loved ones or connecting with other heart attack survivors, and managing risk factors like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes by taking medications as directed, not smoking, eating healthily, and getting regular exercise.
Stronger Muscles, Stronger Hearts: A Powerful Connection for Heart Health at AFAC Gym
In the pursuit of a healthier heart, we’ve explored the intriguing link between muscle strength and cardiovascular welfare. The evidence we’ve uncovered underscores a fundamental truth: strong muscles can indeed translate into stronger hearts.
Our exploration began with the revelation that maintaining muscle mass, especially as we age, can have a profound impact on our heart’s resilience. Research has shown that individuals with more muscle mass are less likely to develop heart issues, even after suffering a heart attack. It’s a promising finding that emphasizes the importance of exercise and muscle strength in our daily lives.
The key takeaway is clear: don’t underestimate the impact of muscle strength on your heart’s well-being. It’s a connection that extends beyond mere aesthetics or physical prowess—it’s a matter of life and longevity. And while the research highlights the importance of maintaining muscle mass for many reasons, it also encourages us to consider strength training as a valuable tool in the battle against heart disease.
Compared to other local gyms, AFAC gym in Thornton, Colorado, has the widest variety of strength training equipment in the area. That means whether you’re a beginner just starting your fitness journey or a seasoned weightlifting veteran, you’ll have everything you need at our gym to pursue a robust strength training program.
In addition, our personal trainers are always here to assist you and can design a customized fitness program for you that aligns with your goals. The personal trainers at AFAC gym are committed to supporting your efforts so you’ll see the results you’re working so hard for. That’s why we’re the best gym in Thornton, Colorado.
If you’d like to learn more about AFAC gym and our incredible array of strength training and cardio equipment — as well as our unique offerings like daily group classes, cryotherapy, hydro massage, and our rock climbing wall and cave — we hope you will visit us for a personalized tour. Our team will be happy to help you. For more information and assistance, you can also contact our gym owner, Susan, at 720-849-0245 or susan@adventurefitness.club.
