How is it that gorillas, who have more muscle than even the most muscular human, can look like they’ve had 9 boiled eggs, a kilo of chicken breast and protein powder a day, even though they mostly eat plants like leaves?

Gorillas, especially striking with their arm muscles, are very gentle animals, although they may look scary, they are harmless as long as they do not 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 only meat is eaten is a misconception. Moreover, apart from gorillas, horses, cattle, deer and many other herbivorous animals also have a muscular structure.

The genes, DNA and bone structures of gorillas have evolved to enable them to survive in harsh forest conditions.

The gene called myostatin, which is 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 a person tries to develop muscle, muscle development stops after a certain level. In fact, when you stop lifting weights, the muscles begin to shrink.

If the myostatin gene is decreased, 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 seen in a test 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 evidence 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 structures.

Their arms develop tremendously as they sway from 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 take full advantage of plant fibers.

Cellulose is also converted into Omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential 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 .

Thanks to the frequent consumption of fruits containing fructose and glucose, their energy levels always remain high. 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.