How to reduce myostatin

Myostatin (GDF-8) is a growth factor protein that can hinder your muscle growth and weaken your physical strength.

Because there is a balance of myostatin in your body, activities that build muscle generally suppress or counteract the muscle breakdown caused by this naturally produced compound.

However, some people have inherited a mutated gene that naturally minimizes myostatin, causing a rare deficiency known as myostatin-related muscle hypertrophy, in which muscle is constantly produced with some moderate effort.

If you are not part of this group of gifted individuals, there are some things you can do to reduce it and thereby enhance your hard workouts.

Train hard frequently

Exercises that strengthen muscles through weights, resistance, accessories, and other activities that require skeletal muscle contraction are perfect for reducing the effects of myostatin.

• A University of Pittsburgh study found that participants who completed 9 weeks of intense strength training reduced myostatin expression by 37%.

In any case, you should consistently perform a variety of exercises to tone your muscles, build strength, and minimize myostatin.

Varying your workouts means introducing exercise plans such as military-style training, CrossTraining, or popular strongman workouts, as well as jump rope and even swimming, cycling, or Pilates, combining them all.

In addition, you can combine intense calisthenics with strength training to mitigate its production.

Include protein in your diet

It is important to consume a large amount of protein (amino acids) daily.

You should focus especially on whey proteins specifically designed to promote muscle development when combined with exercise.

This is because whey protein stimulates the natural production of adenosine triphosphate, a chemical compound that is converted directly into mitochondrial energy and that your body uses to increase lean muscle mass and physical strength.

Add iron, vitamins, and antioxidants

Iron is essential for the development of healthy muscle tissue, so you should include iron-rich foods in your daily diet, such as lean meats, fish, nuts, beans, and lentils.

These foods also contain B-complex vitamins, which promote healthy metabolism, energy supply, and muscle development.

It is also important to include plenty of fresh antioxidants in your diet, found in fruits and vegetables, as they help prevent oxidation caused by excess accumulated cortisol. A comprehensive supplement containing vitamins C and E can be very useful in this case.

Avoid stress and control myostatin

Excessive stress raises cortisol levels, which promotes the release of myostatin activity, worsening muscle breakdown.

If you reduce stress, you indirectly help decrease its production in your body, supporting the muscle-growth process.

In addition, your body naturally needs sleep to recover, which is an essential self-defense mechanism designed to prevent and protect you from the invasion of free radicals.

That is why sleep facilitates the necessary bodily repair and reduces stress by regulating cortisol levels.

All these factors help mitigate the production of myostatin in your body to maximize the benefits of your workouts.

Nutrition: How to inhibit myostatin?

There are myostatin inhibitors, generally found in supplements specifically intended for bodybuilders; however, you should have experience using them or consider the risks they carry, including tendon injuries.

That said, taking coenzyme Q10 supplements may help you, as they promote muscle development by restoring fatigued muscle cells.

On the other hand, resveratrol, a powerful antioxidant, is known to regulate metabolism and could therefore help you in the recovery and regeneration of muscle tissue.