How might we protect bone and mass on a low-calorie food plan? One of the crucial constant advantages of calorie restriction is that blood stress improves in as little as one or two weeks. Blood stress might even be normalized in a matter of weeks and blood stress capsules discontinued. Sadly, this may work a bit too nicely and trigger orthostatic intolerance, which might manifest as lightheadedness or dizziness upon standing and, in extreme circumstances, might trigger fainting, although staying hydrated can assist. What about lack of muscle mass? Within the CALERIE trial, which I profile in my video Potential Pitfalls of Calorie Restriction, 70 p.c of the physique weight the themes misplaced was fats and 30 p.c was lean physique mass. So, they ended up with an improved physique composition of about 72 p.c lean mass in comparison with 66 p.c within the management group, as you’ll be able to see at 0:51 in my video. And, regardless that leg muscle mass and power declined in absolute phrases, relative to their new physique measurement, they typically bought stronger.
Is there any option to protect much more lean mass, notably amongst older people who naturally are inclined to lose muscle mass with age? Elevated protein intakes are generally advised, however most research fail to discover a helpful impact on preserving muscle power or operate whether or not you’re younger or previous, energetic or sedentary. For instance, throughout a 25 p.c calorie restriction, researchers randomized chubby older women and men to both a normal-protein food plan with 4 grams for each ten kilos of physique weight or a high-protein food plan with about 8 grams per ten kilos. That doubling of protein consumption had no discernible impact on lean physique mass, muscle power, or bodily efficiency. As you’ll be able to see beneath and at 1:48 in my video, most such research discovered the identical lack of profit, however after they’re all put collectively, one can tease out a small benefit of about one or two kilos of lean mass over a median of six months.
Sadly, excessive protein consumption throughout weight reduction has additionally been discovered to have “profound” adverse metabolic results, together with undermining the advantages of weight reduction on insulin sensitivity. As you’ll be able to see within the graph beneath and at 2:14 in my video, for those who lose 20 kilos, you’ll be able to dramatically enhance your physique’s potential to deal with blood sugars, in comparison with topics in a management group who maintained their weight. However, for those who lose the very same quantity of weight on a high-protein food plan, getting about an additional 30 grams a day, it’s such as you by no means misplaced any weight in any respect.
Although you’ll be able to all the time bulk again up after weight reduction, one of the best ways to protect muscle mass throughout weight reduction is to train. The CALERIE examine had no structured train element, and, much like bariatric surgical procedure, about 30 p.c of the load loss was lean mass. In distinction, that proportion was solely about 16 p.c of The Greatest Loser contestants, chalked as much as their “vigorous train program.” Resistance coaching even simply thrice per week can forestall greater than 90 p.c of lean physique mass loss throughout calorie restriction. The identical could also be true of bone loss. Drop some pounds via calorie restriction alone, and also you expertise a decline in bone mineral density in fracture danger websites, such because the hip and backbone. In the identical examine, although, these randomized to drop a few pounds with train didn’t undergo any bone loss. The researchers concluded: “Our outcomes recommend that common EX [exercise] needs to be included as a part of a complete weight reduction program to offset the opposed results of CR [caloric restriction] on bone.” It’s exhausting to argue with requires elevated bodily exercise, however even with out an train routine, the “very small” drop in bone mineral density within the CALERIE trial may solely enhance a ten-year danger of osteoporotic fracture by about 0.2 p.c. The advantages of calorie restriction revealed by the examine included enhancements in blood stress and ldl cholesterol, as you’ll be able to see within the graph beneath and at 3:54 in my video, in addition to improved temper, libido, and sleep. These would appear to far outweigh any potential dangers. The truth that a discount in energy appeared to have such wide-ranging advantages on high quality of life led commentators within the AMA’s inside medication journal to put in writing: “The findings of this well-designed examine recommend that consumption of extra energy shouldn’t be solely a burden to our bodily homeostasis [or equilibrium], but additionally on our psychological well-being.”
Take a look at my different movies on calorie restriction, fasting, intermittent fasting, and time-restricted consuming within the associated movies beneath.