I’m on vacation now and I’m trying to eat healthy and enough to maintain. I haven’t worked out but once in the past month. I try to keep my protien intake to at least 200g a day. I know now that I’m not working out I don’t need so much…or that’s what I would think.
I’m not getting that much protien now that I’m away and it is kind of a downer. My main concern is say I’m on a road trip and I haven’t had food for about five hours. How long can you go before your body will start using your muscle as an energy source?
If your body has no reason to hold onto muscle (ie. you’re not working out), it will use it as fuel if you are not eating enough.
Keep the protein high as usual, and eat often. If you are on the road try prepare some protein shakes or high protein snacks like jerky.
Also, you would probably start using some muscle as fuel as soon as your last meal has been digested, also depending on your bodyfat levels and what your last meal consisted of.
I dont see how your body would go straight to breaking down your muscles for energy when theres other places to get it (liver glycogen, muscle glycogen, fat stores). I could see if you’re not getting enough amino acids (protein) that your body could take some from your muscle but as far as an energy source it doesnt seem very efficient.
If you are eating decently, it’s a more of a “no need for these metabolically expensive adaptations lets take them down” thing rather than a “we need protein for energy so lets catabolize muscle” sort of thing. next time overreach a bit before vacation and recover during your vacation, imo!
its inefficient for the body to metabolize protein from muscle into glucose when there is always plenty of glycogen and fat available, even after a digested meal.
[quote]Airtruth wrote:
your muscle is going to fall off tomorrow and you will be a 100lb weak bitch[/quote]
Haha, agreed. People always seem to overreact with these things. Of course it’s not optimal to not be lifting and not be eating properly but please, it’s your vacation. Have fun, and be sure to hit the iron and the kitchen with a vengeance when you get back. Muscle doesn’t just dissolve when you get off track for a month.
People seem to be ignoring the fact of not working out in the last month. SUPPORTING muscle tissue is metabolically costly. The body doesn’t do it when it doesn’t have good reason-ie. stressing the muscles. So, of course you lose muscle when you go long enough without working out. No matter what your diet is. Your concern about not eating often enough seems to be the least of your problems. Just try to eat frequently as you can. Get some protein bars. And get back to the gym as soon as you can.
It depends on the person. Some would lose muscle after a few weeks of not training, some after months. One thing to remember is that the body will only keep what it needs, so if you don’t train, your body will percieve muscle as useless tissue and do away with it anyway.
It has something to do with hormone levels as well, so taking something like steroids can help retain the muscle. Of course, you’ll need to eat to meet the metabolic demands of having that much muscle for you not to lose it.
[quote]jsbrook wrote:
People seem to be ignoring the fact of not working out in the last month. SUPPORTING muscle tissue is metabolically costly. The body doesn’t do it when it doesn’t have good reason-ie. stressing the muscles. So, of course you lose muscle when you go long enough without working out. No matter what your diet is. Your concern about not eating often enough seems to be the least of your problems. Just try to eat frequently as you can. Get some protein bars. And get back to the gym as soon as you can.[/quote]
Of course your body loses muscle? People have taken way moe time than a month off without losing muscle.
It depends most on calorie intake, and how long you have had the muscle. You can also cross train to give your muscles a different stimulus.
However I think the best question is where did you go and what kind of job do you have that allows you to travel the world for a month?
[quote]bw1985 wrote:
I dont see how your body would go straight to breaking down your muscles for energy when theres other places to get it (liver glycogen, muscle glycogen, fat stores). I could see if you’re not getting enough amino acids (protein) that your body could take some from your muscle but as far as an energy source it doesnt seem very efficient. [/quote]
I read an article Thib wrote…or however the first of his name is spelled…and it said your muscle stores are easier to break down for energy than your fat stores…thats why people who stop eating for a long period of time thinking that they will lose wieght lose more than just fat…