Interesting Muscle Facts For Kids
The human body is a fantastic piece of machinery composed of various components. These work in tandem with each other and help us cope with the stresses and strains our lives place upon us. One of the major systems in the body is the muscular system. This particular part of the body’s primary purpose is to help us move various parts of our body. Yet there is so much more worth knowing about the muscles in our body. In this article, we will provide some muscle facts for kids that they will find interesting.
Muscle Facts For Kids
When we imagine having muscles, we often think of having strong stomach (abs) or arm muscles. But these are not the only muscles in your body, as you will soon see below.
Our Body Is Made Up Of Hundreds Of Muscles
Each of us has over 600 muscles in our bodies. Some of these muscles help pump blood around the body. Others help us lift heavy objects.
There are some muscles in your body that you can control. Then others in the body will do their jobs without you needing to think about what they are doing.
Main Types Of Muscles In Your Body
Three types of muscles make up part of your body weight inside the human body. Any action made by the muscles in your body can be classified as voluntary or involuntary.
The three types of muscles in your body are as follows:
Skeletal Muscles
These are the ones attached to the bones in your human body through rigid muscle tissue cords known as tendons.
As the muscles in your body begin to contract, they will pull on the tendons, which then cause the bones to move.
Ligaments are muscle tissues that connect each bone in the body to another bone. They are similar in many ways to tendons, but they help hold your skeletons together.
The main types of skeletal muscles we know the most about are the biceps, quadriceps, abs, and pectorals. These are some of the largest muscles in your body.
Smooth Muscles
These muscles in the human body are involuntary, as you do not have any control over what they do.
There are smooth muscles in your digestive system. These muscles help food pass through as the muscle contracts. It also helps to reduce waste from your body.
There are also smooth muscles in your eye that help them to remain focused without you needing to think about doing it.
These muscles are also found in your veins and help ensure that blood flows around your body.
Cardiac Muscle
It may surprise you to learn that the human heart is, in fact, a muscle.
But this is a unique type of involuntary muscle. The heart muscle does not help pump blood through the blood vessels; it can alter the speed at which the blood does pump through it. It can slow the rate down or speed it up to ensure enough blood flow around your body to meet the demands placed on it.
So when you are sitting or lying down, your cardiac muscle will slow your heart rate down and cause blood to pump around the body slower.
During exercise, as the heart contracts, it will send blood around the body much faster. The strongest muscles need more of it to work. Read more about heart facts for kids.
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Importance Of Healthy Muscles
In addition to being able to move more, being in good physical shape and having strong voluntary muscles will maintain your body strong.
Strong, robust muscles can also help to keep your joints in terrific form, making the physical activities you like more enjoyable.
Any active muscles that deteriorate in strength could result in further harm.
For instance, if the muscles around your knees are weak, you may have trouble with your body’s soft tissues, which may lead to knee injuries.
Also, maintaining strong, healthy muscles is crucial as it helps to keep your balance. As a result, the risk of you falling over or slipping when out playing reduces.
So, doing a wide range of exercises will ensure that your skeletal muscles remain strong. This will help keep other muscles in your body, including your heart, strong.
Interesting Skeletal Muscle Facts For Kids
There are two types of skeletal muscles in the body, these include:
Slow Twitch Muscles
They are also known as Type 1. This type contains protein, and it is this that gives them their red color. These skeletal muscles can carry more oxygen around your body.
They gain energy from the proteins, carbs, and fats you eat and will take longer to contract.
You tend to use these muscles more when going for a long run or cycle ride.
Fast Twitch Muscles
These are Type II and tend to look more white as they contain less protein. In turn, this means that they carry less oxygen.
These muscles are more powerful and contract faster than slow-twitch muscles. The problem with these muscles is that they get tired more.
You will often use these skeletal muscles during aerobic exercises like sprinting, lifting weights, or other heavy objects.
Final Fun Muscle Facts For Kids
Up to 40% of your total body weight comprises muscles. So this is why when you look at athletes, you notice that they have very little fat on them, but they still seem to weigh a lot.
One crucial fact to know is that muscle does weigh more than fat.
Another fun fact is that when we are born, we have all the muscle fiber that we need as we grow up.
Finally, when it comes to your face, it will surprise you that you use more facial muscles when you frown than when you smile. To frown, you will use 43 facial muscles, while when you smile, you only use 17.
Check out these fun facts for kids here and browse all the other topics at the bottom of the post.
