Losing lean muscle mass due to mundane things like weight loss and aging is a sad fact of life. In fact, according to Compass by WebMD, many people experience a 3% to 5% decrease in lean muscle supply every decade after he turns 30. increase. You’re losing muscle mass and you don’t know it.
Diet, sedentary behavior, chronic disease, and aging can all cause muscle mass to decline.
Mike Ball, MD, MPH, ALMA certified personal trainer and member of the Medical Professionals Board, Director of Medical Content and Education at Ro, said: Eat this instead of that!“People often have the goal of losing weight, but this can come with a less-than-desirable side effect: losing muscle mass as well.” Your body works effectively every day. If you’re on a diet and don’t burn enough calories, your body is deprived of the energy it needs to run.
“[When dieting,] The hope is that your body will burn fat for extra energy (which you can use as an energy source),” says Dr. Bohl. Certain chronic diseases can cause muscle mass loss, everyone naturally loses muscle mass as they age, and even a sedentary lifestyle can lead to muscle mass loss.
If you are aware that this may be happening, you can act proactively by changing the situation and taking appropriate steps to maintain your independence and ability to function. Keep reading for signs you may be missing.
1. Losing weight too fast.
Rapid weight loss is a sign that you are also losing muscle. Dr. Ball warns: You may be losing both fat and muscle because you’ve been pushing yourself too hard or your diet has been so extreme that your body is malnourished. ”
Losing 1-2 pounds per week or 4-8 pounds per month is usually a healthy plan. Anything faster than that can lead to muscle loss.
2. You are not making progress or your workout is getting harder.
Another indicator of muscle weakness is that your fitness routine feels more difficult or your progress has stopped. “If you’re feeling weak, are having trouble performing tasks you used to be able to do, or aren’t seeing any gains in strength after spending time in the gym,” says Dr. We may need to pay attention,” he suggests.
3. I feel more tired than usual.
If you’ve been feeling more tired lately, it’s a sign you’re losing muscle. “If you feel sluggish or have low energy, your body may not be getting enough nutrients and you may be burning your muscles,” says Dr. Ball.
4. You may look less muscular.
You may notice a visual difference, but it may take some time to actually see it. Pay attention to the appearance of your clothing, especially if you have a lot of muscle. I just got fat. ”
5. I’m losing weight, but my body composition is the same.
Last but not least, if you lose weight but your body composition stays the same, you may be losing muscle as well as fat. Dr. Ball points out that there are several different ways to measure body composition, such as calipers and bioelectrical impedance analysis (where a small electrical current is passed through the body). If the body fat percentages are the same, “That means you’re not just losing fat. You can buy tools to measure body composition (e.g., many modern scales have bioelectric It has built-in impedance analysis) and can often be used in the gym.”
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Now that you know what causes muscle loss, let’s think about what you can do next.
To prevent and restore lean muscle mass loss, it’s important to know what causes it. Here we come. If muscle loss is the result of a chronic disease, it’s important to contact your doctor to learn how best to achieve a healthy body composition.
If your sedentary lifestyle is causing you to lose muscle mass, it may be time to start a training regimen as soon as possible. ‘ recommends.
Once you’ve addressed the muscle loss pathway, redirect your efforts to strength training and protein intake. , or bands, or unstructured exercise such as yard work or other manual work.
He shares that the amount of protein to consume daily to build and maintain muscle mass is 1.4 to 2.0 grams per kilogram of body weight.
