The very many questions-not-worth-their-own-thread question thread XXIII

[Cutlass]

Different types of muscle tissue, I assume.

 

[Joecoolyo]

One tends to look white and the other red

 

[SS-18 ICBM]

Red/dark meat has more myoglobin in it. The myoglobin holds on to oxygen for aerobic respiration, allowing greater endurance as opposed to quick bursts of power (anaerobic respiration, producing lactic acid that causes that burning sensation in tired muscles).

 

[Borachio]

Hmm. There are two types of muscle, that's for sure. Fast (twitch) versus slow response. And all creatures have both. There's two in fish, for instance, with the fast response muscle very much less evident (along the spine), and darker, than the slow type.

It's curious that birds have so much "white" meat though. No doubt a lot to do with flight.

Pork, of course, is "white" because it's been bled.

Actually, I haven't really much idea what I'm talking about.

I'd guess fast and slow response muscle tissue are distributed fairly uniformly throughout a mammal's musculature.

I'll look it up.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/body/factfiles/fastandslowtwitch/soleus.shtml

Chickens have fast and slow twitch muscle, too. Dark meat, like in chicken legs, is mainly made up of slow twitch fibres. White meat, like in chicken wings and breasts, is largely made up of fast twitch muscle fibres. Chickens use their legs for walking and standing, which they do most of the time. This doesn't use much energy. They use their wings for brief bursts of flight. This requires lots of energy and the muscles involved tire very quickly.

 

[Kennigit]

I don't really read this thread but I doubt this has really popped up before:

Has anyone had an large scale security background check? (fbi, CIA, military, other)
1) how long did the process take
a) in terms of actually getting everything done (your security interview, any field interviews of references/previous neighbours, etc)
b) processing time (everything is turned in and 2 months later get the clearance, etc)

2) any issues that get flagged that are a surprise (eg past anything obvious like arrest record, speeding tickets, etc)
a) how were those resolved/brought up
b) how that effected the process (eg delayed it significantly, delayed it almost nothing, etc)

Jobs I am applying for, will likely have at some point in my life, or at least apply for in the future will require such security clearances or likely to require such clearances.

 

[Quackers]

How healthy is The Rock?
Just seen a few pictures of him preparing for his new film and he is enormous now. Is there a point where too many muscles and not enough fat puts a strain on your body? After all, to maintain that physique you have to eat so many meals every day.

Never really considered the health consequences of being that big. Thoughts?

 

[Borachio]

Assuming he goes in for cardio-vascular work-outs and keeps away from steroids, I'd guess the health consequences are very good indeed; provided he exercises sensibly and doesn't injure himself while doing so - and there's no real reason why he should.

The negative consequences would come as soon as he stops exercising so much and runs to fat. A lot of fat. I've seen that happen, and it doesn't look pretty.

 

[Traitorfish]

Muscle doesn't actually turn to fat, mind, because it's a protein, and fat is complex carbohydrates. "Running to fat" occurs because people don't adjust their calorie intake to match the changes in their lifestyle, in part because their bodies are still screaming at them to keep at the old levels.

It's also likely that he's only lost the fat very recently, in the immediate run up to the film. Most body-builders keep a relatively normal amount of body fat most of the time, and only knock it down to the "skinless revenant" look right before competing. Some of the ones who also compete in weightlifting and strongman contests in the "off-season" can get positively chubby.

 

[PlutonianEmpire]

Is this the same process that happens to some NFL players?

 

[Cutlass]

Retired NFL players tend to get really fat after they stop playing because they are accustomed to eating enough to support very intense physical activity, and then all of the sudden they are not. So their food intake is far too large for their current activities.

A former athlete really has to discipline themselves to get on a balanced diet/exercise regime that matches their current activity level.

 

[madviking]

happens to players of all sports, pretty much.

 

[PlutonianEmpire]

Is it normal to have difficulty breathing at the mere scent of someone else's cigarette smoke?

 

[Cutlass]

Is it normal to have difficulty breathing at the mere scent of someone else's cigarette smoke?

No, that's an extreme reaction. Unless you have serious asmha or something like that, there might be an allergy involved.

 

[PlutonianEmpire]

No, that's an extreme reaction. Unless you have serious asmha or something like that, there might be an allergy involved.

Ouch.

Well, that's what happens to me every single time I'm in a room with a smoker. It's also why I hate sharing hotel rooms with my family, since my folks are life-long chain smokers, since it is usually my dad's smoke waking me up from an otherwise good sleep because I can't breathe.

Its odd, really, since I've been with them since they adopted me at 2, and yet my body never adapted to it, I guess.

 

[Cutlass]

If you can see a doctor, talk about it with him

 

[PlutonianEmpire]

I will. Thanks.

 

[SS-18 ICBM]

I don't think lungs ever adapt to cigarette smoke or any other irritants, at least not in a benign manner (e.g. asbestos --> scar tissue).

Pueblo, CO has the lowest cost of living outside of the south (not hating on the south, but it's so damned far south... hot, humid...eww.)

Wait, humid? I thought the Southwest US was more of a dry heat? That's kind of upsetting to hear.

 

[Quackers]

Why is hardwork a virtue?

 

[bhsup]

Wait, humid? I thought the Southwest US was more of a dry heat? That's kind of upsetting to hear.

I was talking about the south, not southwest. Like the deep south. Bama, Miss, etc. Yeah, though, you're right about the southwest.

 

[madviking]

Why is hardwork a virtue?

One of the seven virtues is industry, 'industria'.