A skinny, 22 year-old male visits the local medical clinic complaining of severe cramping in his calves, thighs, buttocks, back, and shoulders, as well as increased fatigue. He tells you that for the last 3 weeks he has been trying very hard to get in shape. He is doing a new, intense weight-training program for at least an hour almost every day, and running on a treadmill for 45 minutes four days per week. He says that despite his intense workout regimen he seems to be losing, not gaining, muscle mass. This has prompted him to work out even harder. He says that he is drinking at least a gallon of water a day to stay hydrated, and that he avoids sports drinks because they are “full of chemicals.” He has adopted a “vegan” diet that you learn in his case consists mainly of fruit juices. (He tells you that he doesn’t like soy or tofu.) He also tells you that he skips meals on weight training days to try to reduce body fat. He wants to know why he is cramping so much and losing muscle mass.
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Background
Skeletal Muscle Anatomy
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Organ
Consists of hundreds of thousands of muscle cells, plus connective tissue wrappings, blood vessels and nerve fibers
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Fuels needed by muscles
Fats
Aerobic
After 30 minutes of exercise, energy is taken from fat stores
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