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92degrees
08-21-04, 05:27 AM
I can't find this info on the web?! Maybe someone here has an opinion. I've ruptured a disc in my neck and have not been able to do weights for about two weeks. Before injuring myself I was in very good shape. In the past two weeks I've lost about 4-5lbs. I have been watching my food and I've cranked up the water intake to offset the Prednisone.
Does muscle loss really happen this quickly? Or is it a combination of water, fat , and maybe a little muscle?
Thanks for any insight.
I read something somewhere (now isn't that a great intro!) that performance and physical gains start to really fall off after 12 days, but that age also has a great impact.....
Fat Hack
08-22-04, 09:04 AM
It obviously depends on your somatotype (mesomorph, ectomorph or endomorph), but I remember reading and studying this a while back, and my recollection is that while the physiological processes involving energy transfer in the muscle cells deteriorate quickly, muscular atrophy doesn't begin until the 6 week mark (!!) as long as body weight and a moderate activity level is maintained. In other words, you can lose strength, "muscle fitness", and maybe some tone, but atrophy takes a while, unless total inactivity occurs.
If you consider the scenario where the footballer has a knee reconstruction, and the totally inactive leg atrophies rapidly, but only hobbling around on crutches is enough to maintain the muscle mass of the uninjured leg, even for months. He's not doing weights or running on the unijured leg, but the low level of activity involved with getting around on the crutches is enough to maintain the size.
So, from what I recall from some lectures attended years ago, there is a huge difference between total inactivity and moderate activity, concerning muscular atrophy.
Although, some extreme ectomorphs seem to drop weight and muscle mass as soon as they miss two workouts and stop stuffing their face.
I busted a rib a couple of years ago, and could barely lift a 20lb dumbell for two months, and I don't think I lost any size, but I did gain 8lbs of blubber. :(
Relax, i understand the feeling :)
I believe you lose muscle mass at about the same rate of speed as you build it.