STUDY: Bigger Biceps May Benefit Your Heart

Here’s why your muscles may help decrease your risk of cardiovascular disease - by MH Staff

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In new research from UCLA, male heart patients with the most arm and leg muscle and the least belly fat were 68 percent less likely to die of cardiovascular disease over seven years than thin guys with less arm and leg muscle.

The reason: Muscles promote better insulin function, which might play a role in slowing the development of heart trouble, according to the researchers.

While the UCLA study only measured the muscle in the participants’ limbs, your best bet is to focus on building muscle on your entire body. That’s because the better your body composition, the leaner you’ll ultimately be.

Muscle increases your resting metabolic rate, burning a higher amount of calories—and belly fat—around the clock.

And a healthy weight leads to a healthy heart. A 10-year Mayo Clinic study found that overweight people had heart attacks 3.6 years earlier than normal-weight people did. And obese heart-attack patients tended to be 8.2 years younger than normal-weight victims.

For a program that will make you stronger and help you lose weight, try THE 21-DAY METASHRED from the Men’s Health Fitness Director. The challenging 30-minute workouts hit every muscle in your body, and create a calorie burn for up to 48 hours after you’re finished. (One guy lost 12 kilos in 6 weeks!)

This article first appeared on Men's Health.