Muscle-The Hidden Organ

This 9 to 5 Wellness podcast episode we're reframing skeletal muscle as a highly active organ with major roles beyond movement. You'll learn muscles role as the body’s primary “glucose sink,” taking up an estimated 70–80% of post-meal glucose via insulin-driven GLUT4 and storing large glycogen reserves, with inactivity, aging, and metabolic disease contributing to insulin resistance. Muscle is also  an “energy furnace” that raises basal metabolic rate, supports thermogenesis (including shivering), and declines with sarcopenia, contributing to metabolic slowdown. Moreover you can learn about muscles role as an amino acid reserve used during fasting, illness, trauma, surgery, and cachexia, influencing outcomes. It is also the largest endocrine organ, releasing myokines (e.g., IL-6, irisin, BDNF, IL-15, myostatin) that signal to the brain, fat, liver, bones, and immune system, with benefits from moderate, consistent activity.⏱️⏱️Time Markers00:00 Welcome and Teaser00:32 Muscle Beyond Movement01:47 Glucose Sink Explained04:58 Blood Sugar and Exercise07:13 Muscle as Calorie Furnace10:55 Heat and Metabolic Aging13:18 Emergency Protein Bank17:58 Muscle as Endocrine Organ19:31 Key Myokines Breakdown25:21 Big Picture and Takeaways27:49 Wrap Up and Motivation👇⬇️ Learn more about Aesha and how to work with us 👇⬇️9 to 5 WellnessWork with Us🔬🧪👩‍🔬Related Research StudiesSkeletal Muscle as an Endocrine OrganMuscle as an endocrine organ: IL-6 and other myokinesSend us Fan Mail🌟 🌟 🌟 If you liked this episode and would like to learn more about wellness training and workshops offered by 9 to 5 Wellness, email us at [email protected]. You can learn more about our programs at:  https://toneandstrengthen.com/workshops-trainings/. 🌟 🌟 🌟My passion is helping organizations create a culture of wellness, and I do this by setting up health programs that prioritize the most important asset they've got – their employees. Cheers to a healthier and happier journey ahead!🌟 🌟 🌟 You can learn more about ME- the host at https://www.aeshatahir.com  Follow me on IG and LI to learn morehttps://www.instagram.com/tone_and_strengthen/https://www.linkedin.com/in/aeshatahir/