This Unexpected Ingredient May Be Worth Watching For Muscle Health
Maybe you've noticed that a workout that used to leave you feeling strong now takes a little more effort to maintain the same results.
Or perhaps you've started paying more attention to muscle because you know how important it becomes with age. Either way, keeping muscle isn't always as straightforward as it was in your 20s or 30s.
Researchers are still trying to understand why, and new research in mice1 points to an unexpected piece of the puzzle: what happens to fat inside muscle as we age.
About the study
Researchers wanted to find out whether celery seed extract (CSE) could help protect skeletal muscle in two groups of mice. One group had obesity caused by a high-fat diet, while the other consisted of naturally aged mice.
The researchers focused on these groups because both aging and excess body fat can be associated with changes in muscle health.
As we get older, muscle can become smaller and weaker, while excess body fat may contribute to metabolic changes that make it harder for muscle to function properly.
The researchers gave CSE to both the obese and aged mice, while comparison mice in each group did not receive the extract. They then assessed muscle mass, grip strength, muscle fiber size, and the amount of fat stored within the muscle tissue.
They also examined processes that influence muscle health, including energy production, inflammation, and the balance between building and breaking down muscle protein.
The mice had stronger, healthier-looking muscles
The mice given celery seed extract had greater muscle mass, stronger grip strength, and larger muscle fibers than the mice that didn't receive it.
They also had less fat stored inside their muscle tissue, including lower levels of triglycerides and cholesterol. Fat doesn't only accumulate around the body. It can also build up within and around muscle, particularly with aging and excess body fat.
The CSE-treated mice also showed signs that their muscle cells were producing energy more efficiently and experiencing less inflammatory activity. Their muscles appeared to favor building muscle protein over breaking it down, too.
Why fat inside muscle matters
We tend to think of muscle and body fat as completely separate tissues, but some fat can make its way into muscle. This is known as intramuscular fat, and higher levels have been linked with poorer muscle quality and strength, particularly as people age.
Too much fat in and around muscle may interfere with how muscle cells produce and use energy. It can also contribute to inflammation, which may make it harder for muscle to maintain its normal function over time.
That makes the reduction in intramuscular fat one of the more interesting findings in this research.
It suggests that protecting muscle with age may involve more than directly encouraging muscle growth. Reducing some of the metabolic stress happening inside muscle could also matter.
Still, there's an important caveat. This research was conducted in mice, so we can't assume CSE would have the same effects in humans.
We also don't know what dose would be appropriate for people or whether taking celery seed extract long term would be safe or effective for preserving muscle.
What to do for your muscles now
For now, there's no need to add a new supplement based on this research. The fundamentals of maintaining muscle are much better established.
Resistance training is one of the most reliable ways to build and preserve muscle as you age. Aim for at least two sessions a week that challenge your major muscle groups, whether that's at a gym or with equipment you have at home.
Protein matters, too. Your muscles need amino acids to repair and maintain themselves, so getting enough protein throughout the day can help support that process.
If food alone leaves you short, one of these whey protein picks can help you close the gap.
Resistance training and adequate protein have substantially more human evidence behind them than celery seed extract. CSE may eventually prove useful, but it's still an emerging area of research rather than a proven muscle-health strategy.
The takeaway
Fat buildup inside muscle may be one factor influencing how muscle changes with age.
Celery seed extract improved several measures of muscle health in mice, but human research is needed to know whether those benefits translate to people.
