Dylan Holly, M.Ed.Skeletal muscle is a complex tissue and while its primary job is to assist in movement, this is not its sole purpose. Muscle is also a major storehouse for energy in the form of amino acids and metabolic machinery responsible for much of our daily energy expenditure. The energy cost of muscle comes with a price. When subjected to an unloaded state such as bed-rest, immobilization, or microgravity, the muscle atrophies. In other words, the cross-sectional area diminishes and wit...