by R. Renee Bembry

Created on: November 07, 2007   Last Updated: March 24, 2009

Cardiac muscle, skeletal muscle, and smooth muscle classify the three types of muscles in the human body. All humans have muscles; and all humans associate muscles with strength, fitness, and body building. But, what exactly are muscles?

Muscles are body organs composed of bunches of fibers that expand and contract to cause movement. Muscle movements are either voluntary or involuntary. Voluntary muscles work when our bodies send signals to our brains telling our brains to make our muscles move an arm or a leg or a finger, etcetera.

Involuntary muscles work on their own, however, because involuntary muscle activity involves contraction of heart muscles, dilation and contraction of pupils, and contraction of the peristalsis (the organ that maneuvers food through the digestive system).

In order to keep muscles shapely and prepared to perform tasks we subject them to, we must feed and exercise them. The degree to which we feed and exercise voluntary muscles such as rectus abdominis (abs), quadriceps femoris (four muscles on front of thigh), and biceps brachii (front upper arm muscle) impacts their size and strength. Before we begin routines to strengthen, tone, or increase their sizes, however, the way we feed, rest, and liquify our muscles should be considered.

Consuming protein is a vital step in gaining strong lean muscles. Protein is needed to repair muscles after they've torn during exercise. As strange as it may sound, tearing is actually a normal part of muscle growth.

Carbohydrates are as important in muscle growth as protein because carbohydrates provide energy needed to perform exercises that tear muscle before muscle can re-grow into bigger and stronger states. We cannot gain muscle simply by eating protein. We must encourage our muscles to utilize the protein.

Eating foods that help you gain muscle is as important for anyone on a weight loss program as it is for those seeking to bulk up. Strong healthy muscles keeps body metabolism moving at faster rates which in turn allows dieters to lose weight more quickly; and as far as carbs go for those seeking to lose weight, feeding your body carbs so that your muscles can get a good work out in turn allows your body to utilize muscle building protein. So eating carbs to keep energy levels high and to help in maintaining focus helps you perform better during workouts.

Healthy carbs and protein that help you gain muscle include:

Carbohydrates - whole wheat bread, whole-ground pasta, brown rice, old-fashioned and steel-cut

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