Dylan Holly, M.Ed.Skeletal muscle is a complex tissue and while its primary job is to assist in movement, this is not its sole purpose. Muscle is also a major storehouse for energy in the form of amino acids and metabolic machinery responsible for much of our daily energy expenditure. The energy cost of muscle comes with a price. When subjected to an unloaded state such as bed-rest, immobilization, or microgravity, the muscle atrophies. In other words, the cross-sectional area diminishes and wit...

Rachel Botchlett, M.S.Skeletal muscle is a highly specialized tissue that is responsible for voluntary motion and plays a significant role in glucose metabolism and maintaining postural support. The loss of skeletal muscle, defined as atrophy, is characterized by a marked reduction in muscle protein synthesis coupled with an increase in protein degradation and can lead to a loss of contractile force. Muscular atrophy can be caused by several health issues, including starvation, aging, and muscul...

Wendy Gapinski, M.S.You may have heard a lot about omega-3 in the news recently. But, what really is omega-3? Well, omega-3 is a category of fatty acids that are most commonly found in marine and plant oils. Fats often get bad press but this type actually provides health benefits. Polyunsaturated fats, such as omega-3s, are often easily identified by their ability to stay a liquid at room temperature. Saturated, unhealthy fats typically stay solid at room temperature.  While some of the mec...