Muscle wasting is the bête noire of bodybuilding enthusiasts. Yet many of them can suffer from a loss of muscle mass during the dry period. What are the reasons for this phenomenon? And are there concrete solutions for maintaining muscle volume and strength? As you will discover, muscle erosion is mainly caused by an inadequate diet or caloric deficit.
A lack of calories or protein will cause the body to burn muscle tissue for energy. Aging also plays a role, as an imbalance develops between muscle protein synthesis and breakdown.
Over time, the body destroys more muscle fibers than it synthesizes. This explains the gradual loss of autonomy and muscular strength in the elderly.
In rare cases, this may be due to a pathological condition. Nevertheless, it is possible to preserve muscle mass through supplementation. Consuming protein powders, particularly high-quality whey, will help you preserve your figure. Read on to find out more.
What causes loss of muscle mass?
Losing muscle is a constant worry for bodybuilders. The loss of muscle mass occurs gradually and unnoticed. In fact, there are many causes for this loss, such as :
- An inadequate diet: our diet must satisfy our caloric needs. When this is not the case, the body draws on all its reserves, including muscles. Contrary to popular belief, the body does not immediately mobilize fat. It will first burn the amino acids present in our muscles. You may find yourself in this situation during a diet or a lean period. It's also possible that, as a result of training too hard, the calories ingested are insufficient.
- Lack of exercise: muscle gain is the result of physiological adaptation. Physical activity is necessary to gain muscle mass or maintain muscle tone. When an athlete stops training, the body stops producing more powerful muscle fibres. Physical effort and an adapted protein diet are the winning duo for a dream physique.
- Age-related protein imbalance: from a physiological point of view, muscle loss is unfortunately an irremediable phenomenon. An imbalance gradually sets in as we age. The body "destroys" more amino acids than it synthesizes. This is why the elderly suffer from severe muscle erosion. Although this phenomenon can be limited, the loss of muscle mass ultimately affects everyone. It's a normal physiological phenomenon.
- Sarcopenia: Some people may suffer from a pathology manifested by severe muscle wasting and loss of motor skills. Specialists diagnose sarcopenia when they observe malnutrition and severe protein deficiency. It's not just muscle and mobility that are lost. This pathology, which can have a variety of causes, also affects the immune system and thus resistance to pathogens. Although sarcopenia is usually an age-related condition, the elderly are not the only ones to suffer from it.
Please note: protein powders and whey are not miracle products for building muscle. Specific training (weight training) is essential. What's more, althoughthere'sno real age limit for consuming whey, mass gain will mainly concern athletes who have finished growing.
How can you reduce the risk of losing muscle mass?
The causes of muscle loss already provide clues as to how to prevent muscle wasting. However, since we're talking about diet, training and specific physical conditions, we suggest you seek the advice of a competent specialist. Whether it's a dietician, sports coach or doctor, these specialists will be able to suggest the changes you need to adopt.
Whatever the case, the most important thing is to look after your diet. You'll need to estimate your energy expenditure and the calories you ingest, in order to establish a balance sheet. If this is negative, we'll fill the gap with healthy foods, ideally protein sources, if there's a protein deficit (which is often the case). On the other hand, it's unlikely to be positive if you're losing muscle.
Of course, you also need to increase your protein intake. Remember that sportsmen and women need more than 1.3 g/kg/d of protein. For body-builders, this figure rises to 2 g/kg/d (there's no need to go beyond this). Reaching this target doesn't necessarily mean taking a protein powder, if you're able to get it from your diet. Nevertheless, whey provides ease of use at a lower cost, as well as the assurance of high quality, rapidly bioavailable amino acids.
Eating more protein will not always prevent muscle loss. Without physical activity, your body won't be sufficiently stimulated to maintain muscle mass and/or tone. You'll need to get back into the swing of things. Consult a sports coach to set up a suitable routine and plan sessions according to your availability. If your needs are coupled with excessive body fat, these specialists will also be able to suggest the lowest-calorie whey.
Unfortunately, the protein deficit caused by aging cannot be reversed. Amino acids are less well absorbed by the elderly, a phenomenon known as "splanchnic sequestration". All you need to do is make up for this deficit, in order to limit the phenomenon as much as possible. To do this, you should consume more protein as you get older, taking care to maintain normal kidney and liver function. You should, however, consult a dietician to ensure that your diet is sufficiently balanced.
Finally, when it comes to sarcopenia, medical expertise is required. Only a doctor can provide a senior citizen with the various recommendations. That said, in broad terms, the patient's diet needs to be reviewed in its entirety. Proteins and other macro and micro nutrients will be introduced to combat this disease. As far as possible, the sufferer should also resume low-intensity physical activity such as walking.
When should I use protein powder?
Consumption of protein powder is not a necessity to prevent loss of muscle mass. Your daily meals should already provide you with a large proportion of the amino acids you need. So, before considering supplementation, it's important to look at your diet and estimate how much protein you're taking in.
If protein intake from staple foods is too low compared to your needs (1.3 to 2 g/kg/day), you can use protein powder. However, it must be correctly dosed, taking into account the protein intake from everyday foods. Wrongly dosed whey is useless and may even cause you to gain body fat, which is why some people wrongly claim that whey isolate is fattening.
There's a vast choice when it comes to this type of dietary supplement. Nevertheless, whey remains by far the best alternative. This highly nutritional supplement provides all the amino acids you need. It' s versatile, and can be used as part of a diet, to build muscle mass or for lean training.
Muscle-builders should take their whey shaker after training, aiming for 2 g/kg/d of protein, but not exceeding it, as this is pointless.
For endurance sports enthusiasts, it's a good idea to consume around twenty grams of protein after each session. The aim is to stimulate muscle recovery.
When choosing your whey, however, it's important to read the list of ingredients carefully. Avoid products containing even the slightest trace of additives. The undesirable effects attributed to whey, and sometimes the urge to vomit, can be explained by these components. These substances, which are supposed to improve the presentation and use of this dietary supplement, can be harmful to health.
