Stop Muscle Catabolism Like This
HOW TO GET LEAN AND PREVENT MUSCLE LOSS
When people lose fat, they often lose muscle too. Sometimes a lot. But this can be minimized or even prevented entirely. Here's what we know so far about how to prevent muscle loss when dieting:
The Study
Researchers took 10 overweight people and put them all on the same two-week, reduced-calorie diet. They were divided into two groups:
The Results
Well, first, they didn't lift weights or eat enough protein, but the researchers were focused on other things.
They pointed to "a shift in relative substrate utilization toward oxidation of less fat." Basically, sleep deprived subjects couldn't put their dietary fat and carbs to work, they experienced an enhanced neuroendocrine adaptation to caloric restriction, and they burned less fat and more muscle.
What This Means to You
You probably eat plenty of protein and lift weights. But how's your sleep? Although you're somewhat protected from muscle loss, insufficient sleep may still be causing you to lose too much muscle when you decide to get ripped.
In the study, both groups consumed the same number of calories, yet the sleep deprived group lost less fat and more muscle. We can assume the same thing would happen to active, protein-eating folks, just to a lesser extent.
Reference:
1. Nedeltcheva AV et al. Insufficient sleep undermines dietary efforts to reduce adiposity. Ann Intern Med. 2010 Oct 5;153(7):435-41.
HOW TO GET LEAN AND PREVENT MUSCLE LOSS
When people lose fat, they often lose muscle too. Sometimes a lot. But this can be minimized or even prevented entirely. Here's what we know so far about how to prevent muscle loss when dieting:
- Use a moderate caloric deficit. Around 300 to 500 calories below maintenance usually prevents the muscle loss associated with more extreme deficits.
- Lift weights or do some type of resistance training while you're dieting. This makes your body think, "Hey, I need to use that muscle tissue. Better hang on to it."
- Consume plenty of protein. Getting close to a gram per pound of body weight works for most people needing to drop 10 or 20 pounds.
The Study
Researchers took 10 overweight people and put them all on the same two-week, reduced-calorie diet. They were divided into two groups:
- Group 1 was allowed to sleep 8.5 hours a night.
- Group 2 was allowed to sleep only 5.5 hours a night.
The Results
- Group 1, who got a good night's sleep, lost about 3 pounds of fat and lost a bit over 3 pounds of muscle on average. That sucks, but it was worse for the other group.
- Group 2, the sleep deprived group, lost about 1 pound of fat and lost more than 5 pounds of muscle! That's means they lost 55% less fat and 60% more muscle than the group that got adequate sleep.
Well, first, they didn't lift weights or eat enough protein, but the researchers were focused on other things.
They pointed to "a shift in relative substrate utilization toward oxidation of less fat." Basically, sleep deprived subjects couldn't put their dietary fat and carbs to work, they experienced an enhanced neuroendocrine adaptation to caloric restriction, and they burned less fat and more muscle.
What This Means to You
You probably eat plenty of protein and lift weights. But how's your sleep? Although you're somewhat protected from muscle loss, insufficient sleep may still be causing you to lose too much muscle when you decide to get ripped.
In the study, both groups consumed the same number of calories, yet the sleep deprived group lost less fat and more muscle. We can assume the same thing would happen to active, protein-eating folks, just to a lesser extent.
Reference:
1. Nedeltcheva AV et al. Insufficient sleep undermines dietary efforts to reduce adiposity. Ann Intern Med. 2010 Oct 5;153(7):435-41.
