Photo: Artem Podrez

Why am I gaining muscle without working out?

It comes down to hormones and genetics. Chances are, you've probably heard before that every body is different, and on a physiological level, that's really true. For example, some bodies are primed to put on muscle more easily than others.

self.com - Why Some People, Like Brittany Snow, Can Naturally Build More Muscle

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Chances are, you've probably heard before that every body is different, and on a physiological level, that's really true. For example, some bodies are primed to put on muscle more easily than others. Actress Brittany Snow says she falls in that camp, but it took her a while to appreciate it. "When I turned 30, I looked at my life and realized that I'd always been on a diet and working out to be the size of a model. I thought, I'm 5'3", and I inherited my mom's beautiful muscular body—it's just not going to happen," she told Shape. Snow is not alone—some people really are destined to have athletic, muscular body types, while others have to work harder to increase the size of their muscles. "[Predisposition] is mainly a combination of genetics and hormonal factors," says exercise physiologist Jonathan Mike, Ph.D., C.S.C.S. While fitness and nutrition habits are obviously key in seeing results from a workout routine, hormones also play a major role in someone's ability to gain muscle mass. Testosterone, human growth hormone, and insulin-like growth factor are particularly important here, explains Cedric Bryant, Ph.D., FACSM, chief science officer for the American Council On Exercise. While men have much more testosterone than women, it's present in everyone, and it affects muscles in a couple of ways. "Testosterone interacts with the neuromuscular system to help stimulate protein synthesis," explains Bryant. Protein synthesis is essentially how muscles grow (as opposed to protein degradation, where muscles break down). "Enhancing protein synthesis turns on certain molecular pathways that enhance muscle mass," says Mike. Testosterone's effect on muscles is two-fold. In addition to having its own effect on protein synthesis, it also stimulates the pituitary gland to release growth hormone. "Growth hormone's primary effect is that it increases the availability of the amino acids required for protein synthesis," says Bryant. "Growth hormone also stimulates the release of insulin-like growth factor from skeletal muscles, and the two work together to stimulate muscle growth." These hormones also help regulate the action of satellite cells, which are activated when there's muscle damage present (like from working out), explains Mike. These satellite cells help repair and build damaged muscle fibers to be stronger and larger. In sum, the more of these hormones you have available, the more impact they'll have on the size (and strength) of your muscles. Everyone's body is built differently. For example, the type of muscle fibers you have affects your muscle-building ability. Hormone levels are partially genetic, but they can also be influenced by training programs. "You can have a training program that can stress and manipulate the endocrine system, so that you increase the production of these muscle-building hormones," says Bryant. Specifically, you'll see the biggest muscle-building hormone changes from lifting heavy and including multi-joint exercises that recruit large muscle groups, like squats, deadlifts, and bench presses. (It's worth noting that in general, hormones can also be influenced by factors like sleep, stress, and nutrition on a fluctuating basis.)

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What is an angry liver?

An inflamed liver has become enlarged beyond the size of a normal organ of its type. It is typically a sign of a more serious health condition. Illnesses or diseases that lead to an inflamed liver could also produce other symptoms. Symptoms of an inflamed liver can include: Feelings of fatigue.

webmd.com - Remedies for Inflamed Liver - WebMD

Symptoms of an inflamed liver can include:

Feelings of fatigue

Jaundice (a condition that causes your skin and the whites of your eyes to turn yellow)

Feeling full quickly after a meal

Nausea

Vomiting

Pain in the abdomen

You can develop an inflamed liver because of excessive consumption of alcohol. The liver can also become swollen from processing too many other toxins, such as excess amounts of acetaminophen or other supplements and medications. Below is a rundown of some of the illnesses and diseases that can cause an inflamed liver:

Cirrhosis

Cirrhosis is the formation of scar tissue on the liver because of alcoholism or hepatitis. An inflamed liver is one of the side effects of cirrhosis. The scar tissue makes it difficult for the liver to function normally. This illness can be life-threatening when it reaches an advanced stage. It’s difficult to undo the damage from cirrhosis, however, seeking help from a medical doctor may be able to limit further damage to the liver.

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