People don’t often realize it, but muscle is composed of two distinct areas. The first is the portion of the muscle where the actual muscle contraction takes place. This is where the proteins that make-up the muscle fibers are located. This is the area that gets the most focus from those looking to build mass muscle. This makes sense to a degree, as this is where force is actually produced, but this area only makes up about 20% of the volume of the muscle.
However, the other area (composed of several components) is just as important, especially if you are trying to build mass muscle. This area is composed primarily of water (along with electrolytes) and muscle glycogen (stored carbohydrates). If your goal is to look as muscular as possible then the volume of this area needs to be maximized.
This is done through optimal hydration techniques and well-constructed carbohydrate consumption, as well the use of specific supplements such as creatine. All of these strategies help to increase the size of the muscle without actually increasing the size of the contractile proteins.
But this is not just for cosmetic purposes. The increased muscle volume has some performance enhancing effects as well. The increased muscle mass creates more favorable leverage for force production and it is well-known that a properly hydrated muscle cell is more anabolic than a dehydrated one.
The focus of training should still be on increasing the size and strength of the contractile proteins, but the “storage area” of the muscle should not be neglected. This area makes the muscle look larger over the short term, and contributes to positive results over the long-term.
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