opinions

Think and grow old? Natural Bodybuilding as an essential part of a fulfilled life

You’ve probably heard the saying: Everyone wants to grow old, but no one wants to be old. Well, there’s probably something to that. But does old age always have to go hand in hand with physical problems that you almost inevitably think about? Mobility and sufficient strength for everyday activities stand for quality of life. Let’s approach the matter and consider what Natural Bodybuilding has to contribute here.

About if-then thinking

As a programmer, I deal with logical thinking every day, and that includes if-then considerations. IF the user of an app presses this button, THEN the program does this and that. And as someone who has been moving weights for close to 40 years, I naturally apply this thinking to my workouts. It goes something like this:

IF you set an appropriate training stimulus, THEN the trained muscle will try to respond by building up. IF you supply sufficient amounts of required nutrients after the training load, THEN the muscle cells will build up a little more substance than was previously present. IF you “optimize” your hormonal control circuit or certain cell receptors through targeted direct interventions, THEN this will all happen much faster and to a greater extent than if you do not.

Well, the last point is where it stops for me. Why? Quite simply: Because I need my body even longer. And because I don’t want to risk that possible late consequences of my dilettantish tinkering with the central control mechanism of my body could endanger my health in the long run. It’s just too hot for me. Period.

Who likes, can call me thus gladly coward. But for me it suits like this. I have no increased interest in knowingly endangering the complex functioning of my organism for the selective maximization of even one physical characteristic. Personally, such a thing strikes me as frivolous. Or as stupid.

Bravely wielding the moral cudgel?

Please do not misunderstand me: I am in no way trying to present my view of things as the only truth – I am far too aware of my own mistakes for that. I speak here only about my personal view, developed over decades of my life. No question of “good” or “bad” bodybuilders, but only of different ways to reach the desired goal.

But let’s move away from the specific steroids issue for a moment and get down to basics: Why do we do this to ourselves at all, these intensive training sessions and endless hours on the machines? Is it just for the sake of improved appearance and a hoped-for advantage in the search for a partner?

Exercise is healthy – but why?

We all know this saying about healthy exercise. But why is that actually the case? Well, there are the obvious reasons, such as the good supply of oxygen to the organs or the mobility of the skeletal muscles and the associated support structures. But does that explain everything that can be gained from training in terms of health? Especially for me in my mid-fifties, the topic of health plays a more important role than it did back in my twenties.

A very interesting aspect is addressed by Marco Toigo, whose research at ETH Zurich focuses on the mechanisms of muscle adaptation at the molecular, cellular and systemic levels. In his book MuskelRevolution (2015, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, p. 231), he addresses the function of muscles in motion: Hundreds of peptides are secreted by active muscles that do not have an effect in the muscle itself at all, but in completely different organs. This is similar to the way glands secrete hormones that then act somewhere in the body. Such complex interrelationships could therefore be the reason why training the musculoskeletal system has much more far-reaching effects than simply more strength or endurance: we are bringing completely different processes into effect in the entire body.

The toddler at the remote control?

Now this body is incredibly complex, which means that many different organs and subsystems are connected with each other. And if you now turn a single adjusting screw in isolation to achieve an intended effect, it may be that something completely undesirable happens in a completely different part of the body system. We know this from medicine and call it: Side effects.

Controlling complex systems is always extremely challenging: the former Chernobyl reactor crew will agree. After all, most people tend to overdrive at certain points. That’s like pulling the car out of the ditch with too much momentum, only to throw it immediately into the other one. And it’s like a toddler bravely pressing the red button on the remote control again and again because he doesn’t know the others and doesn’t like them that much.

But how else am I supposed to influence my body?

But then isn’t any influence on my physical processes a risk? Because I can’t know beforehand what it will do in detail? And wouldn’t that then be the end for any intended change?

My opinion in abbreviated form: The human body has been developed by evolution over millions of years. I do not consider food components with which it has been confronted since eternal times as questionable – only in the application in concentrated form common sense could sometimes be helpful. But those substances which are not within the “experience range” of the human body or have been produced synthetically, I personally regard with a certain skepticism: No doubt about the efficiency of such active substances, but what about the mentioned side effects? Or with possible late effects?

I simply have too much respect for that.

Long story short

So, I think one thing has become clear: This thing with steriods or similar “drugs” is not worth it to me. What I do consider important and worthwhile, however, is: to pursue bodybuilding as a lifestyle. Bodybuilding, considered as a faithful companion for the rest of my years, in order to be able to enjoy a sufficient degree of quality of life at an older age. As a way of controlling my complex body system that does not isolate, but stimulates holistic changes. For this purpose, according to my personal conviction, Natural Bodybuilding is excellently suited.