Slow Twitch Muscles

Did you go on vacation this year? Did you struggle to walk?

Did you wonder why, when as a child, you could walk miles without thinking about it?

The answer lies in something known as slow twitch fibres in your muscles.

Your muscles have two categories of fibres - fast twitch and slow twitch.

Fast twitch is what you use for a short, motivated burst of energy. Running away from something that thinks you are food.

Slow twitch, on the other hand, is your endurance muscle. It powers you for hours on end. They contract more slowly and use less energy.

Their secret lies in their ability to be oxygen-efficient in producing energy. They also have the ability to use carbohydrates and fat for energy.

Together, this gives them the ability to power you for hours. Think marathon or even triathlon in which you are using up to 70% slow twitch muscles.

So then, why are you struggling to walk?

The obvious answer is lack of use. After the age of thirty, we undergo a condition known as sarcopenia or loss of muscle. Sarcopenia affects both fast and slow twitch muscles.

The supply of blood to your muscles are done through capillaries. As you age, the number of capillaries decline.

Additionally, and this is important, your neural pathway controlling your muscles also slowly dies. When they do, your fast twitch muscles prioritize and recruit the neurons over slow twitch ones.

Your body is saying if I have to choose, I would rather choose to run from a tiger than participate in a marathon.

Left unchecked, gradually, you lose the ability to run and walk.

But there is good news. You can reverse both, regardless of age. Start slowly and build the habit. Walk, swim, cycle. Dont let anyone push you too fast.

Sure, you may not get back the same capacity of a ten-year-old. But I would happily settle for my twenty-five-year-old self.

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