Are there drugs/medications that help preserve muscle mass?

MrsLannister
MrsLannister Posts: 347 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've been doing some math and I think by the time I lose 185 pounds I will have lost about 40 pounds of muscle. That's even with losing slowly and trying to do strength training as much as I am able to. I was wondering if there are medications that help preserve muscle? I keep reading quotes like "it's impossible to lose fat without losing muscle, without drugs/medications." What are these medications?

I know I read somewhere about something that is prescribed for obese people to repair muscle damage, but I can't find the article or remember what it was. HgH?

Replies

  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,432 MFP Moderator
    Just eat protein and do weight training.. outside of that, you are talking anabolic steroids and you really don't want to go that route. But yes, it probably was human growth hormones...
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    As your body will be smaller you do not need as much muscle mass exercise and sufficient nutrition and you'll retain what you need. There are no shortcuts
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
    I've never heard of anything prescribed for obese people losing weight - some people are prescribed testosterone or steroids if they have muscle wasting diseases.

    The best supplement for preserving muscle mass? Protein. Up to 1.5g/lb of lean body mass is safe unless you have kidney issues. I weight 125 lbs and aim for at least 100 g of protein a day.
  • tkcasta
    tkcasta Posts: 405 Member
    Protein and lift heavy. :)
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,337 Member
    Steroids and Human Growth Hormone, but they cause major health issues and are illegal for that sort of use.
  • MrsLannister
    MrsLannister Posts: 347 Member
    Ah, okay. I thought maybe there was something other than steroids, which I definitely don't want or need.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    I've been doing some math and I think by the time I lose 185 pounds I will have lost about 40 pounds of muscle. That's even with losing slowly and trying to do strength training as much as I am able to. I was wondering if there are medications that help preserve muscle? I keep reading quotes like "it's impossible to lose fat without losing muscle, without drugs/medications." What are these medications?

    I know I read somewhere about something that is prescribed for obese people to repair muscle damage, but I can't find the article or remember what it was. HgH?

    There is no way to predict how much lean mass one will lose over a long period of time. If someone is very heavy, and they are able to lose a lot weight, then by necessity, they will lose a certain amount of lean mass. The body will "resize" itself structurally to accommodate the smaller size.

    This whole "fear of losing lean mass" can be carried to extremes if it is applied to all cases.
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
    I've been doing some math and I think by the time I lose 185 pounds I will have lost about 40 pounds of muscle. That's even with losing slowly and trying to do strength training as much as I am able to. I was wondering if there are medications that help preserve muscle? I keep reading quotes like "it's impossible to lose fat without losing muscle, without drugs/medications." What are these medications?

    I know I read somewhere about something that is prescribed for obese people to repair muscle damage, but I can't find the article or remember what it was. HgH?

    It occurred to me to point out the fact that a lot of the muscle you will lose is muscle that you simply will not need anymore as your body gets lighter and easier to move around. The good news is, you already probably have quite a lot of muscle, so if you are diligent about resistance training as you lose weight, you will end up in a very good spot with regards to body composition.

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