Did You Know...


...your body has three types of muscle working inside it? Each type works in a specific way and cannot be used for any other purpose. Each looks different, acts differently, is even powered somewhat differently than the others.

(1) cardiac muscle is only found in the heart. Although cardiac muscle more closely resembles skeletal muscle in looks and structure, it differs in arrangement of fibers and how those fibers make the muscle work. Additionally, cardiac muscle works involuntarily, meaning that you can't consciously make it move.

(2) smooth muscle is found in places like the digestive system, waste removal, blood and lymph circulatory systems and other places. It works differently in that smooth muscle doesn't go through sudden, violent contraction as the other two types do. Instead, contraction happens slowly and takes place over long periods -- even semi-permanently. Smooth muscle is also an involuntary type of muscle.

(3) skeletal muscle is used in body movement together with bone and joints as a system of levers and pulleys. Skeletal muscle is a voluntary type of muscle; you can will it to move. But it can also move involuntarily, for instance, in spasm and reflex. There is much that is interesting about skeletal muscle, but one thing in particular stands out to the layperson even though they may not realize it.

There are two types of skeletal muscle -- fast and slow twitch muscle fibers control strength and contractile ability of each individual human being. All humans have both types of fibers in their skeletal muscle, BUT, not necessarily in the same amounts! That is why some of us are faster runners, higher jumpers or have more (or less) endurance in the use of our muscles.

In other words, if you have more "fast twitch" muscle, you are predisposed to short-term, sudden bursts of energy and movement. Fast twitchers will do better in such events as short distance sprints, jerking press weight-lifting, high-jumping, etc. Slow-twitchers have more endurance and can run the long distance marathons, do heavy lifting and carrying, etc. Nothing you can do will change that, no matter how much you train, how far you run, how much weight you use to strengthen your legs, you'll never be the long distance runner some people are.

Isn't that interesting? Here's something else: Men have about 46% of their body mass tied up in skeletal muscle. Women have about 36%. Excluding steroids and toning, this is why muscle mass in men is so much larger than in women, even in female bodybuilders.

So, the next time your kids come home disappointed that they didn't do as well as someone else in that school track meet or doesn't have the biceps another guy has or gets winded a lot sooner in that tennis match, it isn't necessarily due to a lack of trying!


Muscles and Massage

Now that you're aware of this information, know also that massage works on all types of muscle and muscle types. Therapeutic massage can be used to affect cardiac, smooth and skeletal muscle using different types of massage strokes, depending on the needs of the client.

Massage is good for you! Make an appointment right away!

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