Muscle loss..Muscle loss.. But how much?

aalhasan

Hello everyone,

It's known that if you go on a large calorie deficit, don't incorporate enough protein in your diet, and don't lift you'd lose muscle mass.
I'm wondering how much can a big muscle mass loss be? 10-15%? Or are we talking about 2-5%?

Thanks!

aalhasan

Anyone?

HacheraTsarine

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dieting#Fat_loss_versus_muscle_loss :

"Normally, when people lose weight, they lose a combination of fat and muscle. If the diet plan includes a daily caloric intake greater than the basal metabolic rate (BMR), the person will most likely lose fat. In contrast, if the person follows a diet that includes a lower caloric intake than the BMR, this person will lose fat but also a higher percentage of muscle.[citation needed] Severe diets may make people lose 50% fat and 50% muscle weight thus affecting their metabolism because by losing muscle the BMR is affected."

But that's Wikipedia, so leave and take some.

aalhasan

50%

How is this even possible :noway: ?

I mean if there's so much fat to consume why would the body go for muscles that heavily?

But as you said it's wikipedia. Might be true though..

shirleygirl910

Having some muscle on your body will make your dieting efforts much easier. Your muscle burns fat even while you are sitting on the couch!


Muscle is a metabolically active tissue, much more so than fat. This means that muscle burns calories even when you are doing nothing.

Having more muscle means you can eat more and still lose fat.

The best way to gain muscle is through resistance training, e.g. weight lifting. This can be done 2 or 3 times per week for good results.

Aerobic exercise such as jogging may result in some muscle gain but it is minimal when compared to resistance training.

Muscle is what gives your body shape. You can lose all the fat you want but if you don't have any muscle to show then you won't have any real shape to show.

cwolfman13

50%

How is this even possible :noway: ?

I mean if there's so much fat to consume why would the body go for muscles that heavily?

But as you said it's wikipedia. Might be true though..

Think of it this way...muscle is a relatively expensive commodity..fat isn't. Muscle requires a lot of energy (calories) to maintain itself. Your body is more than willing to do so as long as that commodity is "important"...in that it is being worked. If it's not being worked (ie. you don't do any resistance training) your body will ultimately determine that you don't need that very expensive mass and in an effort to be more efficient in a VLCD, will dump that mass.

It's like your household budget...when you cut back, you cut back on the most expensive stuff if you're really in a budget crunch. But you might also keep some expensive stuff because it's vital to whatever you do and worth the expense. Muscle is expensive stuff...if you're not using it, your body assumes that it doesn't need to maintain that expensive stuff and gets rid of it.

RGv2

Having some muscle on your body will make your dieting efforts much easier. Your muscle burns fat even while you are sitting on the couch!


Muscle is a metabolically active tissue, much more so than fat. This means that muscle burns calories even when you are doing nothing.

Having more muscle means you can eat more and still lose fat.

The best way to gain muscle is through resistance training, e.g. weight lifting. This can be done 2 or 3 times per week for good results.

Aerobic exercise such as jogging may result in some muscle gain but it is minimal when compared to resistance training.

Muscle is what gives your body shape. You can lose all the fat you want but if you don't have any muscle to show then you won't have any real shape to show.

Keep in mind gaining muscle is extremely difficult past your noob gains. If you're eating at a deficit one past the noob gains you need strength to maintain what you have...jogging won't do that.

aalhasan

Very informative. Thank you all!
But, can the deficit be that large? I never thought it'd go above 15-20%

HacheraTsarine

For the human body, it's easier to break down (as for energy source) :

1. Carbohydrates
2. Proteins
3. Fats

The reason is : in a gram of carbs or of prots there is 4 cal, but in a gram of fats there is 9 cal. Biochemically speaking, it is far more easier to break down carbs or prots molecules (less energy = weaker chemical bonds) than fat molecules.

That's why muscle mass is hard to maintain while dieting, and you have to strength train in order to slow down the muscle loss.

ninerbuff

Think of it this way...muscle is a relatively expensive commodity..fat isn't. Muscle requires a lot of energy (calories) to maintain itself. Your body is more than willing to do so as long as that commodity is "important"...in that it is being worked. If it's not being worked (ie. you don't do any resistance training) your body will ultimately determine that you don't need that very expensive mass and in an effort to be more efficient in a VLCD, will dump that mass.

It's like your household budget...when you cut back, you cut back on the most expensive stuff if you're really in a budget crunch. But you might also keep some expensive stuff because it's vital to whatever you do and worth the expense. Muscle is expensive stuff...if you're not using it, your body assumes that it doesn't need to maintain that expensive stuff and gets rid of it.

THIS. Fat is desired by the body. Think about why it's so much easier to get fat, than put on lean muscle?

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

erickirb

You can't really say. The less fat you have to lose the large the % muscle will be lost. I would venture to guess you could lose as little as 5% or as much as 50% of your loss could come from LBM (most of which would be muscle)

iiijeniii

Not 50% of your muscle mass will be lost ... 50% of the amount you lose will be muscle mass (according to the wikipedia paragraph above.)

neanderthin

Also keep in mind that with a 3500 cal deficit over a week does equal 1 lb of fat, but it also means almost 6 lbs of muscle, so the combination can equal more than a lb of total weight loss depending on how the percentages bear out.

HerpDerp745

Depending on your current fitness level, you may actually gain muscle and lose fat if you're a beginner.

The advice I have seen states to eat a gram of protein per pound of body weight. Add in heavy weight resistance three times a week and you will minimize your muscle loss.

HacheraTsarine

Also keep in mind that with a 3500 cal deficit over a week does equal 1 lb of fat, but it also means almost 6 lbs of muscle, so the combination can equal more than a lb of total weight loss depending on how the percentages bear out.

I just want to be sure : Does that mean that in weight loss, 6/7 of the weight lost is muscle mass? That's more than 85%!! *leaves forum to go pump iron like a madwoman*

erickirb

Also keep in mind that with a 3500 cal deficit over a week does equal 1 lb of fat, but it also means almost 6 lbs of muscle, so the combination can equal more than a lb of total weight loss depending on how the percentages bear out.

I just want to be sure : Does that mean that in weight loss, 6/7 of the weight lost is muscle mass? That's more than 85%!! *leaves forum to go pump iron like a madwoman*

No just that it takes less calories to lose or gain a lb of muscle than it does a lb of fat