Gorillas, especially notable for their arm muscles, although frightening looking, are very gentle animals, harmless as long as they don’t feel threatened. Do not be deceived by their large size.
The idea that they should not be muscular because they eat leaves is wrong. It is enough to look at vegan fitness professionals to realize that the idea that you can build muscle when you eat only meat is a misconception. Moreover, apart from gorillas, horses, cattle, deer and many other herbivorous animals also have a muscular structure.
Gorillas’ genes, DNA and bone structures have evolved in such a way as to enable them to survive in harsh forest conditions.
The gene called myostatin found in all mammals prevents muscle fibers from exceeding a certain limit by synthesizing protein. This limit in humans and gorillas is different. No matter how much muscle a person tries to develop, muscle development stops after a certain level. In fact, when you stop lifting weights, the muscles begin to shrink.
If the myostatin gene is reduced, the muscles will grow more.
This technique is also used in the livestock industry. Muscular cattle as in the image are bred in Belgium.
Also, some dog owners can use this method.
As can be seen in a test performed on mice, the difference can be that much.
There are drugs that can also be used in humans, but their use is not recommended because there is no definitive proof that they are healthy.
Another factor that determines the muscularity of gorillas is sexual selection.
Because female gorillas who wanted to have big and strong offspring chose more muscular male gorillas, strong genes were passed on to future generations, causing gorillas to become more muscular over the ages. Not only were the females decisive, the strong males overpowered the other males to acquire females and easily obtain the right to reproduce.
In addition to these, staying active most of the time also affects their body structure.
Their arms develop tremendously as they sway from the tree branches every day. They don’t need to pull up every day like we do, it’s their way of life. As a result, their arms are much larger than their legs.
Gorillas that feed on 40 different plant species get better yields from what they eat, as they can also digest cellulose, which allows them to fully utilize plant fibers.
Cellulose is also converted into Omega-3 fatty acids, which are very important for the health of the brain and nervous system. In this way, the coating of the plasma membrane becomes easier, which ensures that nutrients enter and exit the cells properly.
Energy levels always remain high thanks to frequent consumption of fruits containing fructose and glucose. Thanks to this type of food, which acts as a fuel for them, they can easily do activities such as swinging in the tree and running.
Sources: 1, 2, 3
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