Muscle+Growth

**__Muscle Growth__ (Wesley H.)**
//**Muscle growth is very important for the human body. It is a natural process that happens in the body and is occurring continuously with exercise. The scientific term for muscular growth is [|muscle hypertrophy]. Some biological factors effecting muscular hypertrophy include sex, age and heredity. Other factors that can speed up muscle growth include [|anabolic steroids], strength training, nutrition and other intense [|anaerobic exercises].**// //**Biologically speaking, males experience a natural increase of muscle hypertrophy during puberty. This natural occurrence of muscle growth tends to stop during the late teen years. Men experience muscular growth easier than women because of the growth hormone [|testosterone]. In males, testosterone is secreted in the testes. It tends to act as a natural anabolic steroid.**//

//**The two different types of muscular hypertrophy include sarcoplasmic hypertrophy and myofibrilar hypertrophy. When the volume of sarcoplasmic fluid in the muscle cell increases with no increase in strength, sarcoplasmic hypertrophy has occurred. Myofibrilar hypertrophy occurs when the myofibrils, which contain [|actin]and [|myosin] proteins, increases in both number and muscular strength as well as an increase in muscle size.**// //**A very important aspect in muscular growth is [|strength training]. When stimulus or force is added to the body the muscles are forced to adapt. This adapting can include the muscle to increase in size and definition. A generally consistent regimen of anaerobic exercise can produce muscular hypertrophy over a long period of time. Anabolic steroids are common among body builders who want to cause muscle hypertrophy to happen at a faster rate.**//

[|Anabolic androgenic steroids]//**(AAS) are classified as steroid hormones because they are basically artificial versions of the male sex hormone testosterone. Anabolic steroidsmake our bodies synthesize protein at a much faster rate. This results in a build up of cellular tissue causing an increase in muscle size. Since it is a male hormone it can cause masculine characteristics such as an increase in body hair, the deepening of the voice and a stronger build. Using these performance enhancing drugs can have many adverse effects. Immediate effects can include a sharp increase in blood pressure and a drastic change in cholesterol levels. Other effects of steroids include: [|Cardiovascular disease], Coronary artery disease, acne, baldness, enlargement of the heart, shrinkage of the testes, liver damage, infertility and a decrease in menstrual cycles in women.**// //**Muscular hypertrophy is an amazing phenomenon that occurs with our skeletal muscle. It provides us with more strength and size as well as more efficient muscles.**//