How Muscle Growth Helps Fight Obesity and Diabetes
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Introduction
Obesity and diabetes are serious global health problems. But researchers are now finding that building muscle might help protect the body from these conditions. Skeletal muscle, which makes up about 40% of body weight, does more than help you move. It plays a key role in how the body handles sugar and fat. Healthy muscle helps the body stay sensitive to insulin and supports overall metabolism.
Muscle Growth Changes the Whole Body
When muscles grow, they don’t just get bigger—they send helpful signals throughout the body. These signals, called “myokines,” are special proteins released by growing muscles. Myokines can help burn fat, improve blood sugar levels, and even reduce liver fat.
For example, one myokine called FGF21 helps the body burn more fat and improves insulin sensitivity. Another one, GDF15, can reduce appetite and support better blood sugar control. A third, METRNL, helps turn unhealthy white fat into healthier brown-like fat that burns more calories.
How This Growth Happens
Muscle growth is triggered by resistance training (like weight lifting) or even through certain medicines. Inside the muscle, growth happens through signals like IGF-1 and a pathway called mTOR. These signals also help muscles release the helpful myokines into the bloodstream.
Exercise Is Key
Resistance exercise has long been known to improve health. But now it’s clear that it might work not just by burning calories, but by helping muscles send out these helpful signals. People who do resistance training often see better insulin sensitivity and less belly fat, even without major weight loss.
Medicines That Build Muscle
Some newer treatments for obesity also aim to build muscle, not just reduce appetite. A drug called bimagrumab helps people gain muscle and lose fat at the same time. It works differently from popular drugs like GLP-1s by targeting muscle growth directly.
Why This Matters
Losing weight by losing muscle can be harmful in the long run. Muscle keeps metabolism high and helps prevent problems like diabetes and fatty liver disease. That’s why keeping and building muscle, especially through resistance exercise, is now being seen as a powerful way to improve metabolic health.
Takeaway
Muscle isn’t just for strength—it’s an active organ that helps control blood sugar, burn fat, and reduce appetite. Even small amounts of muscle growth through exercise can have big health benefits. So, if you’re looking to improve your metabolic health, building muscle may be just as important as losing fat.