The muscles of a boy from Germany are growing non-stop. It's all about the rarest genetic mutation (8 photos)

When, in 2000, in a Berlin clinic, little boy, the medical staff immediately realized that he did not look like other newborns. After all, his muscles were extremely strongly developed for his age.





This phenomenon, as it turns out later, will be the first documented case where a person has a very rare a genetic mutation that causes his muscles to literally grow by themselves.

Birth

According to Dr. Markus Schuelke, a pediatric neurologist from Charite clinic in Berlin, who examined the baby shortly after his birth, the baby looked like a "little Hulk". Interestingly, the child's muscles involuntarily contracted on their own. It looked about the same as when people involuntarily twitch their legs when falling into sleep.

“At first we thought it was epilepsy,” says Dr. Schuelke.



After two months, the twitching subsided, but the mystery impressive muscles of the child remained. Schuelke wanted, by all means it became, to figure out where the baby got such muscles from. That's why he decided to study his case more closely.

Mutation

First of all, the doctor drew attention to the boy's family. Mother child in the past was a professional sprinter, she specialized in the 100 meter run. The baby's father also once went in for sports and had impressive muscle mass. The boy's grandfather, by the way, was a builder, who could unload stones weighing under 150 kg with his hands.

So it became clear that the whole thing is probably in genetics, so scientists began to study the boy's DNA. They turned out to be right. It turned out that due to a genetic mutation, the child does not produce myostatin - a protein that limits muscle growth.



This does not mean that his muscles will grow indefinitely, Still, they have a limit. But the fact remains - muscle child is able to develop on its own even without any physical activity.

- So we learned that myostatin equally affects both people and animals, says Dr. Schuelke. - Now we can apply this knowledge to the treatment of muscular dystrophy and other diseases.

Experiences

In fact, in animal husbandry, geneticists are already have been experimenting with myostatin for decades. So, for example, a well-known meat breed of cows appeared - the Belgian blue.

By shutting down myostatin production, these animals the so-called double musculature develops, turning representatives of the species in hypermuscular cows and gobies.



Belgian blue cow breed






Something similar can be seen in some breeds of meat chickens, dogs and other animals, to which the hands of breeders reached out. On Of course, such experiments have not been carried out in humans. Still, this contrary to ethics. Although the potential in the use of myostatin is huge.

pharmaceuticals

We are talking about the market of sports nutrition and pharmaceuticals. Where different myostatin blockers are now gaining popularity. Some even they say it's "the safest and fastest way to build muscle." mass". But do not rush to run to the pharmacy.

- Yes, myostatin blockade has found its place in amateur athletics, but not in vain in professional sports it is considered doping, - writes the doctor McNally. - It is also important to remember that everything has its consequences, and such drugs will not make a person healthier if we do not We are talking about the treatment of muscular dystrophy.



Research shows that artificial reduction myostatin does no good. In simple terms, then when muscle growth is limited, the body begins to deplete faster and grow old. So it’s worth thinking 10 times, but it’s better to consult with doctor before looking in that direction...

Today

Returning to the hero of the article - a muscular boy from Germany, I must say that now he is 23 years old, and he is healthy. As in childhood, when a 4-year-old baby could hold on outstretched arms 3kg weights, he has impressive strength. And his muscles about 2 times more than normalman.

The man, who remains anonymous, did not walk footsteps of parents, so it is difficult to judge what results he could to achieve in sports. Dr. Schuelke, by the way, says that he continues keep an eye on the young man, and so far there is no cause for concern.



Richard Sandrak, nicknamed "Little Hercules" - in childhood and Nowadays. He didn't have a genetic mutation, his father just forced its a lot of exercise

- I think active playing sports would have allowed him to achieve impressive success, but this would affect health. Heart, blood vessels ... So, perhaps, in his case, the absence of high physical exertion is for the best, - Shuelka says.