Muscle Retention and Atrophy

athlete

Jun 1

As we age into the wisdom of our bodies, it can be a challenge to always keep up with the exercise and weight routines. Sometimes we’re too tired to workout. Sometimes we are injured and cannot workout. Sometimes we back off just a bit to give our bodies a rest.

So what happens when we rest too long, or we take too long a break? Does fat begin to seep into us? Does the muscle definition we worked so hard to claim slowly slip away?

I asked my AI Bot about muscle retention and muscle atrophy, and here are the interesting insights to share with you.

From ChatGPT-4:

Muscle atrophy, or the loss of muscle tissue, is a natural process that occurs when muscle is not being used. This typically happens during periods of inactivity, such as when a limb is immobilized, or in severe cases, during prolonged bed rest or sedentary behavior. It can also occur as a result of malnutrition, aging, or certain diseases.
When it comes to preventing muscle atrophy, physical activity, and specifically resistance and strength training exercises, are key. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends that adults engage in resistance exercises for each of the major muscle groups two or three days a week. They suggest 2-4 sets of each exercise, each consisting of 8-12 repetitions, to maintain muscle mass. However, these are general guidelines and individual requirements may vary based on factors such as age, sex, and baseline fitness level.
The rate of muscle atrophy varies greatly among individuals and depends on factors such as age, sex, baseline muscle mass, and the reason for the decrease in physical activity. For example, during the first week of complete immobilization, a person can lose about 3-5% of their muscle strength per day. However, this rate of loss tends to slow down after the first week.
It's also important to note that muscle atrophy can be reversed with regular exercise and a proper diet, including sufficient protein intake. However, the speed and degree of muscle regrowth can vary among individuals.
While maintaining muscle mass requires regular exercise, the minimum requirement can be relatively low, especially compared to the amount of exercise needed for muscle growth. Even low-intensity resistance training or physical activities such as walking can help to maintain muscle mass, especially in older adults or those who are otherwise sedentary.
As for muscle loss in the context of weight loss, it's often reported that for every pound of weight lost, up to 25% can be muscle loss. This can be mitigated by engaging in regular strength or resistance training and ensuring adequate protein intake.
In terms of the minimal dose of exercise needed to maintain physical performance over time, one study found that in general populations, endurance performance can be maintained for up to 15 weeks when training frequency is reduced to as little as 2 sessions per week or when exercise volume is reduced by 33-66% (as low as 13-26 minutes per session), as long as exercise intensity (exercising heart rate) is maintained. Strength and muscle size (at least in younger populations) can be maintained for up to 32 weeks with as little as 1 session of strength training per week and 1 set per exercise, as long as exercise intensity (relative load) is maintained. In older populations, maintaining muscle size may require up to 2 sessions per week and 2-3 sets per exercise, while maintaining exercise intensity.

The body loves, and needs to move and manage, extra weight that is not our own. Yes, our bodies actually crave to lift something heavy, and when that desire is not met, the body rebels against us by removing our muscle since “we no longer need” all that power!

Keeping our power is not difficult. Just lift something a little bit heavy a few days a week, and you will maintain the muscle you worked too hard to build. We can always find time to swing a Bell, and we don’t have to kill ourselves doing it every single day and feel guilty if we are not always active every waking moment.

Sometimes less is more… mass!