All posts tagged: muscle

What is a muscle knot actually? A pain in the neck, but not a knot.

What is a muscle knot actually? A pain in the neck, but not a knot.

As humans age, daily work, smartphones, and even pillows can seem to have it out for our necks. Bad posture, repetitive motions, or even just one wrong move involving this part of the body can trigger tenderness, tension, and pain. If you’re experiencing such sensations, you might say you have a knot in your neck. But is anything actually getting knotted up in there? The short answer is no. “Muscles are never tied into knots,” said Ara Nazarian, who runs the musculoskeletal research lab at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. Yet, “they can feel that way due to the accumulation of tight muscle fibers within a specific area.”  Nazarian, also a professor of orthopedic surgery at Harvard Medical School, told Popular Science that when neck knots—or myofascial trigger points—occur, “a specific portion of the muscle contracts similarly.” In other words, what’s commonly called a knot is actually an area of contracted muscle fibers that can’t fully relax. This phenomenon, Nazarian explained, might feel like a bump, lump, or band beneath your skin. If …

2024 Upfronts Preview: Netflix, Amazon Muscle In

2024 Upfronts Preview: Netflix, Amazon Muscle In

If the 2023 upfronts were about disruption, the 2024 upfronts are about Disruption with a capital “D.” Last year’s events were quite literally disrupted, with striking WGA writers on picket lines outside the New York City venues and the annual presentations to advertisers blunted by a noted lack of star power, as actors proved unwilling to cross those picket lines. While companies like Disney and NBCUniversal tried to make up for it by leaning on their news and sports talent, it was nonetheless a muted week. This year, the disruption is more figurative, but in many ways much worse: Linear TV, the linchpin of the ad business for Hollywood, is rapidly eroding. At the same time, this is the year that the streaming behemoths have decided to go for the ad jugular, with Netflix planning an “immersive” experience for media buyers and Amazon storming into upfronts only months after turning on commercials for its millions of Prime Video users, both of them joining YouTube during this critical week in New York. In other words, linear …

Man Utd’s Maguire expected to miss three weeks with muscle injury

Man Utd’s Maguire expected to miss three weeks with muscle injury

MANCHESTER, England : Manchester United centre back Harry Maguire is expected to be sidelined for the remainder of the Premier League season with a muscle injury he sustained in training, the club said on Sunday, which could rule him out of the FA Cup final. Maguire, who has started United’s past six matches, will likely be out for about three weeks, the club said in a statement on Sunday, adding he “will be fine” for Euro 2024 which kicks off on June 14, and could possibly return in time for the FA Cup final versus Manchester City on May 25 at Wembley. United’s back line has been riddled by injuries this season. They are eighth in the table with four games remaining. They play at Crystal Palace on Monday, then host Arsenal and Newcastle before heading to Newcastle for their league finale. Source link

Coffee Compound May Help Counteract Age-Related Muscle Loss

Coffee Compound May Help Counteract Age-Related Muscle Loss

Authored by George Citroner via The Epoch Times, One of the world’s favorite brews may hold the key to keeping muscles strong and healthy as we age. According to recent research, a natural compound found in coffee could be the secret weapon against age-related muscle loss. The Muscle-Preserving Molecule Mitochondria, the powerhouses of our cells, play a crucial role in muscle health. An issue linked to sarcopenia, the age-related loss of muscle mass and strength, is that these cellular components generate less energy as we get older. Compounding this problem, levels of the crucial substance NAD+ (which stands for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide), a coenzyme that helps cells regenerate and protects them from damage, also decline with age. Researchers already know that NAD+ levels can be boosted using various dietary precursors, including the essential amino acid L-tryptophan and different forms of vitamin B3, such as nicotinic acid, nicotinamide, nicotinamide riboside, and nicotinamide mononucleotide. In a recent study published in Nature Metabolism, scientists investigated whether an alkaline compound called trigonelline could help reverse these age-related changes in muscle …

Surprising link found between childhood adversity and impaired muscle function in older adults

Surprising link found between childhood adversity and impaired muscle function in older adults

A recent study published in Science Advances suggests that traumatic events in childhood can influence physical health in old age. The research found that older adults who had experienced such adversities had diminished muscle metabolism. This association was measured through mitochondrial functions within the skeletal muscles, showing a significant connection between early stress and later life physical decline. Previous research has consistently shown that early life stress can lead to a myriad of health problems in adulthood. However, the underlying mechanisms of this connection are not fully understood. One promising area of research focuses on mitochondrial function—essentially, the powerhouses of the cells, which generate energy necessary for cellular activities. Mitochondria respond dynamically to psychological stress, which can ultimately affect their function and contribute to health issues as one ages. Given the gaps in existing research, particularly regarding tissue-specific measures of mitochondrial function, this study, led by University of Michigan Institute for Social Research scientist Kate Duchowny, aimed to directly assess how early childhood stress impacts mitochondrial function in skeletal muscle as individuals grow older. To …

A trainer says everyone forgets to strengthen this important muscle group—here’s how you can target it in your workouts

A trainer says everyone forgets to strengthen this important muscle group—here’s how you can target it in your workouts

Strength training is one of the best ways to build a fit and functional body. It helps you maintain muscle mass, improves bone density, and even boosts mobility. However, it’s easy to get stuck in a rut with strength training, focusing on the same set of muscles while neglecting others. According to ACSM-certified trainer Cara D’Orzio, there’s one group of muscles that nearly everyone forgets: the rotator cuff.  Located around the shoulder joint, this group of muscles and tendons connect the upper arm bone to the shoulder blade. They’re responsible for your shoulder mobility and stability, so it’s important to look after them. According to D’Orazio, the most common way to injure your rotator cuff is by not training it. “It’s what holds the shoulders together. So, if you don’t have rotator cuff strength, that’s what leads to injury,” she explains. “Many people only focus on the shoulder and the deltoid muscles and do too many military presses and too many front and lateral raises without doing any exercises to strengthen the rotator cuff.” Here, …

Chris Hemsworth says this quick upper-body workout will help you cut body fat and gain muscle

Chris Hemsworth says this quick upper-body workout will help you cut body fat and gain muscle

Even among Marvel’s catalog of muscle-bound stars, Chris Hemsworth’s commitment to fitness is unmatched. The Aussie actor has created a fitness app, tackled immense physical challenges for the longevity-focused TV show “Limitless” and continues to share regular fitness insights on his social channels. His latest Instagram post sees him hitting a workout inspired by his Centr app’s new 14-week Power Shred program, which combines muscle-building workouts, high-intensity finishers and a meal plan to help you cut body fat and gain muscle. The routine uses a training technique called supersets (more on this below) to deliver an effective session that will pump up your chest, shoulder and arm muscles, and raise your heart rate to help you burn more fat. Here’s what’s in store. How to do Chris Hemsworth’s Power Shred-inspired workout This workout comprises of three supersets—a pair of movements performed back-to-back with no rest in between—and a finisher. Superset one asks you to do 12 dumbbell incline chest presses, immediately followed by 10 dumbbell push-ups. Only after you’ve finished both moves do you take …

Haaland a doubt for FA Cup semi due to muscle injury, Guardiola says

Haaland a doubt for FA Cup semi due to muscle injury, Guardiola says

MANCHESTER, England : Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is uncertain whether Erling Haaland will feature in Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea after his prolific striker asked to leave Wednesday’s Champions League quarter-final with a muscle injury. Guardiola subbed both Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne off ahead of extra time in a surprise move in City’s penalty shootout loss to Real Madrid that extinguished their hopes of capturing the treble for a second successive season. “Erling felt something, a muscular issue,” Guardiola told reporters on Friday. “We will see. “Kevin felt exhausted, so tired, after five months out injured (at the start of the season), so that’s normal.” It is not surprising, Guardiola added, that his players are feeling the effects of a gruelling schedule, which is a byproduct of the team’s success. “It’s normal, with the amount of games we’ve played this season and in the previous seasons,” the Spaniard said. “There’s not much time for recovery, we played extra time and the intensity we play. We are not machines, the fatigue is there.” …

Groundbreaking protein holds the key to reversing muscle aging

Groundbreaking protein holds the key to reversing muscle aging

Researchers have unveiled a groundbreaking discovery that may hold the key to reversing cellular aging. (CREDIT: Creative Commons) In the quest to defy the relentless march of time, researchers at the University at Buffalo have unveiled a groundbreaking discovery that may hold the key to reversing cellular aging. Their study, published in the prestigious journal Science Advances, revolves around a protein with a mythical namesake – NANOG, derived from the fabled Irish land of Tír na nÓg, a place steeped in legends of perpetual youth, beauty, and vitality. The study’s findings are nothing short of remarkable, as they offer a promising avenue for combating the age-related deterioration of skeletal muscle cells. By overexpressing NANOG in senescent myoblasts, the embryonic precursors to muscle tissue, the research team achieved a stunning reversal of key cellular markers associated with aging. These included improvements in autophagy, energy homeostasis, genomic stability, nuclear integrity, and mitochondrial function. Fluorescent confocal image of NANOG Polyclonal Antibody. (CREDIT: Abcepta) The dramatic impact of NANOG overexpression was further exemplified by an increase in the number …

Breakthrough treatment restores muscle strength in adults, study finds

Breakthrough treatment restores muscle strength in adults, study finds

This discovery could contribute to future therapeutics for muscle degeneration due to cancer, old age, and muscular dystrophy. (CREDIT: Creative Commons) A recent study published in the Journal of Cell Biology has shown that the enzyme GCN5 plays a crucial role in maintaining the expression of key structural proteins in skeletal muscle, which are essential for breathing, posture, and locomotion. This discovery, made by an international team led by researchers at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ottawa, could contribute to future therapeutics for muscle degeneration due to old age, cancer, and muscular dystrophy. Dr. Keir Menzies, a molecular biologist at the Faculty of Medicine’s Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology department, and an associate professor at the Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences, led the team in a span of roughly five years, during which they experimented with a muscle-specific mouse “knockout” of GCN5, a well-studied enzyme that regulates multiple cellular processes such as metabolism and inflammation. (a) Bar graph showing all positively correlated musculoskeletal diseases obtained from BSCE by using all differentially expressed genes …