It’s the masseter, the muscle responsible for the pressure we apply during chewing. The title is explained by the fact that we have to exercise it several times throughout the day, after all, whenever we eat and talk, we are putting it to work out. And the more exercise, the more strength it builds up. But there are those who dispute the power of our mouthful. “The masseter is considered the strongest, but in some people it can be overtaken by the gluteus maximus (the butt muscle)”, says physiologist Dilmar Pinto Guedes, from Unifesp.
In addition to having the strength to keep a person standing up – thanks to him we don’t fall backwards – the fibers that make up the gluteus maximus withstand intense and prolonged exercises. That is, those who exercise it a lot can leave it extremely hypertrophied and, therefore, stronger than the masseter.
Mr. Muscles
The champions in the strongest, weakest, smallest and largest categories
STRONGER
MASSETER
Responsible for the opening and closing movement of our mouth, whether for chewing or for speech. It guarantees that a two-second bite can weigh 124 kilos
GLUTEUS MAXIMUS
Composed of slow fibers, which are resistant to fatigue and thus support more weight and exercise. Therefore, depending on how much it is exercised, it can be more powerful than the masseter.
SMALLER: SPINAL ERECTORS
They are on average 1 cm (each) and are located between one vertebra and another, acting in support of the spine. They compete for the title of smallest muscles in our body with some facial muscles
WEAKER: UPPER EYELID LIFT
The muscle that allows us to open and close our eyes is not only the weakest but also one of the smallest in our body. It shares the space around the eyeball with six other muscles, responsible for eye movements. If it were stronger, it would make the eyes pop out of your face with every blink.
BIGGER: THIGH
It is about half a meter long, and may vary according to the person’s physical structure – that of former basketball player Shaquille O’Neal is much larger than most people… It helps to support the body and allows for a starting movement
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