Muscles are soft tissues in the human and animal body that are responsible for the mobility of body parts, for voice formation, breathing, blinking and other movements. Responsible for their work nervous system. The better developed muscle tissue, the faster the blood supply to the spine. Also, the shape of the human body depends on the development of muscles. This is especially significant for athletes, but there are other interesting facts about muscles: 
How many muscles do we have?
Participation in movements
When speaking, a person can use over 100 muscles, when crying - 43 muscles, when laughing -17, when kissing - about 35. It is interesting that prolonged silence can lead to rapid muscle atrophy and their further recovery is extremely difficult.
Location in the body
Muscles make up 40% of the total human body weight(an average of 20 kg in an adult). Approximately half of these muscles are lower part body, 30% for arms, the rest for the head and torso. Most of them are concentrated on our face. 25% of all muscles are responsible for the mobility of facial expressions, expressions of feelings and emotions, neck movements.
Muscle is much denser than fat and weighs more for the same volume. People with the same weight but different muscle mass can look very different from each other. Often at the beginning of training, the weight can stand still, although visually the person becomes slimmer. This is due to the replacement of adipose tissue with muscle. Therefore, losing weight and playing sports at the same time should not judge the results by weights and lost kilograms. You should always focus on your reflection in the mirror. If you like it, then you are on the right track.
The best of the best
The strongest of all the muscles in terms of effort is chewing muscle. The most enduring muscle is the heart muscle, which can work continuously for 100 or more years. The strongest muscle per unit of weight is the uterus. The fastest are the muscles responsible for blinking the eyes. The largest is the buttock, the smallest is the stirrups.
Dependence on age
With age, the number muscle tissue is getting smaller. Already at the age of 30, a person without sports can lose a total of 15% of all muscles, after 40 - about 30%. A particularly pronounced loss of up to 40% begins after 50 - 60 years. Then the annual loss of muscle tissue can be up to 5% per year.
Muscle protection
Muscles have protective films or fascia that protect them from friction and displacement, separating them from each other. The muscles seem to be in a shell, which serves as the place of their origin and attachment. At the end of the workout, stretching is mandatory for those muscles that were worked on. This will increase blood flow to the muscle and stretch the fascia. Only the muscles of the face do not have such protective films.
Recovery periods
After exercise, the muscles need time to recover at least 48 hours. Less rest time is required for triceps - two days. Three days is enough for hands. The back and legs should be at rest for the longest time - up to five days. Therefore, you should not load yourself with daily workouts for the same muscle group.
Particular care should be taken with the most vulnerable back muscles. Workouts for the upper and lower body must be alternated. Overexertion can adversely affect both athletic performance and the general condition of the musculoskeletal system. After childbirth, the muscles on the woman's abdomen recover from two months to 2 - 3 years.
Growth and destruction
On the positive side, muscles grow much faster than they break down. They begin to "burn" after fat. Therefore, they are easier to maintain, if you do not forget about sports. But even long breaks in training are safe. Gradually, the muscles adapt to heavy loads, it becomes much easier for the body to endure them.
Genetics
It has been proven that the predisposition to growth and development of muscles is determined by genetics. If the parents went in for sports, then it will be much easier for the child. The ability to build a beautiful body, quickly gain muscle mass directly depends on the level of testosterone, cortisol and tissue sensitivity to insulin and protein.
atavisms
Some have preserved atavism muscles that we have left from our ancestors and do not carry any functionality. Long palms are not found in all people, and in some cases can be on only one hand. Often it is this muscle that is used when it is necessary to replace the damaged one.
In animals, they are responsible for releasing claws. Ear muscles - helped our distant relatives move their ears, but now they are of no use. Everyone has a pyramidal muscle in the abdomen, it is responsible for carrying young in marsupials.
Few people know that muscles are also responsible for the appearance of goosebumps. With cold and strong emotions, the muscles of the hair follicles raise the hairs, forming pimples on the body. Interestingly, goosebumps can be caused not only by positive emotions (sexual arousal, admiration, a sense of satisfaction). Often this is caused by negative feelings (fear, fright, metal grinding on glass). This effect is also considered vestigial and has no function.
Muscles are not only tissues supporting our skeleton, but also main sources of movement. They require careful attention and care. No one wants to remain motionless in old age, so physical education should enter your life as early as possible.
There are 640 muscles in the human body, each of which can contract. All body movements, from blinking to running, are possible only thanks to the work of the muscles.
muscle strength
In order for a muscle to contract, each fiber binds to its neighbor and slides over it. This simultaneous action causes contraction. Millions of myosins and actins, acting in this way, cause the muscle to contract. The amplitude and strength of contraction is controlled by nerve impulses sent to each muscle by the brain.
Three types of muscles
Skeletal muscles look striated under a microscope, which is why they are called striated muscles. Since we can contract them when we want to (by force of will), they are also called voluntary muscles. The heart muscle (myocardium) forms the thick walls of the heart. It contracts rhythmically, pumping blood through the heart. Smooth muscles form the tissues of the walls of internal human organs, such as the stomach, intestines or bladder. These muscles contract independently of our will and are therefore called involuntary muscles.
Human muscles vary in shape and size. They can be thinner than cotton thread, long and bulging in the middle, or wide and flat. The largest muscles are in the buttocks. Most muscles are firmly attached to the skeleton by tendons.
Work in pairs
Muscles are arranged in paired groups. One of the paired muscles pulls a certain part of the body in one direction. The second is in another. In animals, muscles have a similar structure and function in the same way as human muscles.
Muscle structure
Muscles are made up of bundles of long fibers called muscle fibers. Each muscle fiber contains bundles of even thinner, microscopic fibers - muscle filaments. In turn, muscle filaments consist of bundles of fibers consisting of proteins - actin and myosin.
Muscle tissue in the human body can contract and relax under the influence of nerve impulses coming from the brain. Any movement that our body makes is due to muscle contraction. Blinking, speaking, raising an arm or leg, turning the torso or head, walking - all these body movements are possible thanks to the muscles. Scientists have been exploring interesting facts about muscles for more than a decade, many scientific papers have been written that study the coordination of movements, the work of each muscle individually, the interdependence of the musculoskeletal system and muscles, and other issues related to muscles ..
Interesting facts about the muscles in the human body
- How many muscles?
There are 640-850 muscles in the human body. The amount depends on the developed muscle tissue. During a kiss, about 34 facial muscles work. Smiling uses 17 muscles. If a person cries, approximately 40 muscles work. When a person walks at an unhurried, measured step, 200 muscles are involved.
Adipose tissue is smaller in weight and not as dense as muscle tissue. This explains the difference in weight between a beefy person and just a full one. A beefy man can weigh more than an unathletic, overweight man of the same height. The body consists of an average of 40% of the muscles. Such interesting facts about muscles reveal the importance of maintaining muscles in proper shape.
- We determine the leader
The heart is the hardiest muscle in the human body. The shortest muscle is the stirrup: necessary for tension eardrum in the ear. Its length is only 1.27 mm. Tailoring - is considered the longest muscle in a person.
As for speed, the fastest is the blinking eye muscle.
Sometimes the tongue is considered to be one of the strongest muscles. Although many scientists refute this opinion, because the tongue consists of several types of muscles. The strongest are chewing muscles- pressure force can reach up to 100 kg. Also, the calf and gluteal muscles are considered powerful muscles.
- Which muscles recover faster?
Each muscle in the body develops, grows, functions in its own way, is responsible for its own set of actions. Therefore, it requires distinctive methods for training and different times for recovery. Less time for rest and recovery is required for the triceps, and the most time for the muscles of the back. The growth of muscle tissue occurs due to a strong load and relaxation. Therefore, you can not constantly load the muscles, leaving without rest. On average, muscles fully recover after 48 hours of rest and 8 hours of full sleep.
- Endurance of muscle tissue
Endurance refers to the ability of muscle tissue to maintain its performance for a long time. As we have already mentioned, the heart is the most enduring muscle. Scientists have calculated that the average human heart can work for at least 100 years. When muscle glycogen stores run out, tissues begin to "get tired", become flabby and lose their ability to contract. Another reason for the loss of endurance is the oversaturation of muscles with calcium.
- Dependence of emotions and muscles
Scientists have found that on the face of a person, the muscles are tightly connected with emotions. Psychiatrist Ivan Sikorsky pointed to the relationship between facial muscles and emotions. He mapped expressions on the face: the muscles near the eyes are responsible for the manifestation of mental work, and the muscles of the mouth are responsible for acts of will. As for feelings, all facial muscles are used to express emotions. In 2011, scientists managed to prove that a child, even in the intrauterine environment, is able to move facial muscles: smile, raise eyebrows (surprise), frown (when something is not to your liking).
- Genetic memory in muscles
It turns out that during muscle training a person's genes change. With each training session, information remains in the genes, which is activated and brings the muscles into "combat readiness" for the following loads. To prove their point, Aarhus University researchers studied 20 participants in the experiment. After a 20-minute workout on exercise bikes, a muscle biopsy was taken - quadriceps. This was done in order to study the performance of genes after training. The results proved that training activates the genes responsible for muscle. Scientists explained this by the fact that the genetic code is stored in cells through methyl groups. If these groups are removed, the information space of the gene will consist of proteins and enzymes that cause calorie burning and muscle building. After the experiment, the number of methyl groups decreased in volunteers. Thus, the muscles adapted to the increased metabolism.
- Telepathy through muscle movement
Muscle contractions do not always occur under the sensitive control of consciousness. Most often, thoughts are displayed on the face - this allows knowing person find out what the interlocutor really thinks. The famous telepath Wolf Messing explained his abilities not as a "gift from heaven", but as knowledge of the subtle work of human facial muscles. And he called his predictions - "reading muscles."
- Who has a long palmar muscle?
One in six people have a long palmar muscle. This muscle in animals is responsible for the release of claws. Since a person does not have such an ability, accordingly, he does not use it. These palmar muscles are used during transplantation as an additional material for fiber grafting.
- Chocolate and muscles
Named natural dark chocolate is considered the most useful for the brain, heart and muscles. An experiment at Wayne University (Detroit) revealed the enormous effect of epicatechin (a substance in chocolate) on the growth of mitochondria (cells that generate energy) in muscles.
- Loss of muscle
Muscle fibers can be burned, just like fat. Especially this process is activated after 40 years - by 2-3%. And after 60 years, a person begins to lose about 5% of muscle tissue. Therefore, both in youth and in adulthood exercise stress important for maintaining health and wellness.
Interesting Facts about muscles once again confirm that physical activity is extremely necessary for a person to prevent the burning of muscle fibers, to ensure the functioning of the musculoskeletal system.