What is Muscle Atrophy?
In today’s society, it is not uncommon to find that you are barely moving throughout your day. Most work takes place at a computer, we use our cars to drive from one place to another, we rarely have time for sports and exercise (or we are too lazy to seek that time out) and even when you have kids, it is not uncommon to find yourself sitting in one room all day until it is finally time for you to go to sleep. When this occurs, your muscles are consistently not getting used. The result is that they may start to deteriorate. This is known as muscle atrophy. Defining Muscle Atrophy The exact definition of muscle atrophy is “muscle wasting” – or, the idea that the muscle is slowly getting smaller. Muscle atrophy is often referred to with regards to injury (being unable to move muscles), sickness (there are diseases that eat away at your muscles), and paralyzation. But the term itself is far more generic, and can refer to simply losing muscle because you are not using it. In some form or an
Muscle atrophy is a medical condition characterized by a gradual loss of mass in the muscles. The reduction in muscle mass leads to corresponding muscle weakness, as well as a shrunken, wasted appearance. There are a number of causes for muscle atrophy, ranging from the benign to the serious, and there are several approaches which can be used to treat or prevent loss of muscle mass. One of the leading causes of muscle atrophy is disuse. If a muscle is not used regularly, it will tend to lose mass over time. People who are not active on a regular basis may develop atrophy, as will people who are bedridden or forced to wear casts which restrict the muscles. Astronauts are also prone to atrophy, because they lack the natural resistance of gravity which keeps their muscles in good shape; even a few days at zero gravity can cause muscle loss. Another cause for atrophy is cachexia, or “body wasting syndrome.” This is a common problem for people with AIDS, cancers, and other serious chronic d
In today’s society, it is not uncommon to find that you are barely moving throughout your day. Most work takes place at a computer, we use our cars to drive from one place to another, we rarely have time for sports and exercise (or we are too lazy to seek that time out) and even when you have kids, it is not uncommon to find yourself sitting in one room all day until it is finally time for you to go to sleep. When this occurs, your muscles are consistently not getting used. The result is that they may start to deteriorate. This is known as muscle atrophy. Defining Muscle Atrophy The exact definition of muscle atrophy is “muscle wasting” – or, the idea that the muscle is slowly getting smaller. Muscle atrophy is often referred to with regards to injury (being unable to move muscles), sickness (there are diseases that eat away at your muscles), and paralyzation. But the term itself is far more generic, and can refer to simply losing muscle because you are not using it. In some form or an
