Image source, Getty Images
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- Author, Giulia Granchi
- Author’s title, BBC News Brazil
There are many strategies when losing weight, but even if they follow different paths, they all run into the same principle: the caloric deficit, that is, spend more calories than they consume.
“The idea is that the body uses its reserves – especially body fat – as a source of energy,” explains Páblius Braga, a sports doctor who works at the Nine de Julio hospital in São Paulo, Brazil.
Ideally, this deficit is achieved through a combination of healthy food choices and regular exercise. However, depending on how many calories they stop consuming, and the quality of the diet, the lost weight may not only come from body fat, but also from muscle mass.
And having little muscle mass can be as harmful as having too much fat. Metabolism tends to slow down, the organism becomes less effective when burning fat and sagging can be accentuated.
In addition, the loss of muscle mass endangers strength, physical resistance and long -term health, hindering the maintenance of lost weight and increasing the risk of “accordion effect”.
“Therefore, a quality weight loss does not consist only of seeing the number in the balance, but to preserve what is functional and valuable in the body: the muscle,” says Elaine Dias, metabolic therapist and a doctor in endocrinology by the USP (University of São Paulo).
Why do we lose muscle when you lose weight
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When a person is in caloric restriction, the body understands that it is receiving less energy and, as a defense mechanism, it enters “savings mode.”
“The muscle, being the fabric that consumes the most energy at rest, ends up being seen by the organism as a” luxury “in times of caloric scarcity, just like a company that, in crisis, cuts in the most expensive sectors to reduce costs.
Image source, Getty Images
The organism tends to reduce muscle activity and, if the restriction is too aggressive or poorly planned, this tissue can begin to decompose to save energy, “says days.
To preserve the muscle, then, you have to make sure you receive what you need.
Hydration and proteins
“About 70% of our muscle is water, so it is essential that it is well hydrated to function properly, which is an average of 30 ml to 40 ml of water per kilo of weight per day. In addition, water is essential for cellular function and muscle recovery. If the muscle is dehydrated, it loses volume and efficiency,” adds the metabolic therapist.
Proper protein intake is essential.
According to the International Society of Nutrition and Sports, for muscle growth and maintenance of lean mass, together with physical exercise, an intake of between 1.4 and 2 grams of proteins per kilo per day is necessary.
Image source, Getty Images
Therefore, a 70 kg person would need to consume between 98 and 140 grams of proteins a day.
The ideal caloric deficit
The size of the caloric deficit – in other words, how much less you consume what you spend – must also be moderate.
“A deficit of up to 500 calories a day is usually ideal. If it is too aggressive, the body can begin to burn muscle. A too large deficit can also cause the accordion effect, because when muscle is lost, metabolism slows down,” explains the expert.
For women, which normally have a lower basal metabolism (minimum amount of energy that the body spends at rest to maintain vital functions, such as breathing and pumping blood), such as those that already have little muscle mass, the recommendation is to be even more careful.
“In this case, 500 calories can be difficult to get, and we can start with something around 300 calories a day,” he advises days.
Image source, Getty Images
Braga agrees with days. “There is a safe parameter, but it depends on a good balance, especially protein,” he says, and gives as an example a plate of rice, beans, a ration of meat or egg and vegetables.
“It is important that at least one third of the food is composed of protein sources.”
The movement is key
In addition to the diet, exercise plays a fundamental role.
And if the idea is to gain muscle while fat is lost, the choice of exercises is important. “Strength exercises, such as weight training, help conserve and even increase muscle mass.”
According to days, it is natural that the body focuses on one goal at the same time: losing fat or gain muscle mass.
“However, in some cases, especially in postmenopausal women, we can get both if the strategy is well adjusted.”
And maintaining a good amount of muscle is so important – or, according to cases, even more – than having a low fat percentage.
Having muscle mass helps prevent chronic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases, ailments that become more common as people grow old.
“That is why muscles is essential to age well. It is an endocrine organ that produces essential hormones for health, such as irisin, which improves brain function and can reduce the risk of several diseases, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Parkinson,” concludes days.
Image source, Getty Images
Another fundamental factor to preserve muscle mass is to take care of emotions.
“It is essential that the process of losing weight and improving body composition does not generate additional stress. If you enter a cycle of excessive demands, health can end up damaging,” warns the sports doctor.
In the Braga evaluation, the most important thing is to align the plan with the reality of the person.
“Training schedules, work routine, rest time … all that has to make sense in day to day. The results have to be accompanied by quality of life. That is the real objective.”
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