Beef jerky and steak are two different varieties of muscle tissue. One of the primary differences is the amount of water/blood held in the tissue. Jerky is thin, dry, and fibrous compared to its initial state it which was much thicker and juicier. After the meat has been dehydrated, it is less flexible and tears easier. Tissue that has been overused and under-cared for, tends to perform like beef jerky–it provides diminished oxygen and nutrients to the muscle and it tears more easily when under strain.
Over-tight muscles literally compress and collapse the smallest blood vessels (capillaries) and lessen the blood supply to the muscle. This means less food for your muscle and faster lactic acid build-up because of the poor removal of waste products.
LESS FOOD TO THE MUSCLE AND POOR WASTE REMOVAL = A SLOWER AND STIFFER ATHLETE
Another issue plaguing muscles are adhesions. Muscles that contract repeatedly in the exact same fashion (as in cycling or running) are most susceptible to developing adhesions.
Adhesions are sticky areas in the muscle that keep it from contracting properly and are due to micro tears in the muscle. The body sends in glue-like cells to patch up the tears and the result is a muscle that contracts poorly. The sticky areas prevent the muscle from shortening fully and therefore it has a diminished power capacity.
DIMINISHED POWER CAPACITY = A SLOWER RIDER
“I want my tissue to be like ‘top sirloin’ what can I do?”
If you need some meat tenderizing, we can help! At Mountain Chiropractic and Natural Health, we provide a couple of different options for keeping our athletes from becoming like beef jerky😊 Our RMTs soften and release tissue under the umbrella of registered massage therapy and our chiropractors utilize Trigenics and active muscle release in conjunction with regular chiropractic care to lengthen and strengthen muscle.
If it is time for you to trade your beef jerky muscle in for top sirloin, give us a call today – healthier muscle is just a call away!
