Study shows it takes much longer to regain lost power By Mary Elizabeth Dallas HealthDay Reporter WEDNESDAY, July 8, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- It takes just two weeks of physical inactivity for those who are physically fit to lose a significant amount of their muscle strength, new research indicates. In that relatively short period of time, young people lose about 30 percent of their muscle strength, leaving them as strong as someone decades older. Meanwhile,
active older people who become sedentary for a couple weeks lose about 25 percent of their strength. The more muscle a person has, the more they will lose if they are sidelined by an injury, illness or vacation, the Danish study found. "Our experiments reveal that inactivity affects the muscular strength in young and older men equally. Having had one leg immobilized for two weeks, young people lose up to a third of their muscular strength, while older people lose approximately
one-fourth. A young man who is immobilized for two weeks loses muscular strength in his leg equivalent to aging by 40 or 50 years," researcher Andreas Vigelsoe, from the Center for Healthy Aging and the Department of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, said in a university news release. Total muscle mass normally declines with age. Young men have about two pounds more muscle mass in each leg than older men do. But, after two weeks of not
moving at all the young men involved in the study lost 17 ounces of muscle, on average. Older men, on the other hand, lost about nine ounces. However, all of the men lost physical fitness while their leg was immobilized, the study published recently in the Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine found. "The more muscle mass you have, the more you'll lose. Which means that if you're fit and become injured, you'll most likely lose more muscle mass than someone who is unfit, over the
same period of time," said Martin Gram, another researcher at the center, said in the news release. "But even though older people lose less muscle mass and their level of fitness is reduced slightly less than in young people, the loss of muscle mass is presumably more critical for older people, because it is likely to have a greater impact on their general health and quality of life," Gram said. After being immobilized for two weeks, the men who participated in the study trained on a bike. They worked out three to four times a week for six weeks. Although this exercise helped the men regain physical fitness, the researchers found their muscle strength didn't fully recover in that period of time. "Unfortunately, bicycle-training is not enough for the participants to regain their original muscular strength," said Vigelsoe. "Cycling is, however, sufficient to help people regain lost muscle mass and reach their former fitness level. If you want to regain your muscular strength following a period of inactivity; you need to include weight training." Gram said it was interesting how much muscle was lost due to inactivity, and pointed out that it takes about three times the amount of time you were inactive to get your muscle mass back. Muscle atrophy, the loss of muscle tissue, can emerge after a period of inactivity. "People older than age 65 are especially vulnerable to muscle atrophy," says Jodi Klein, a physical therapist with Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital. "It can take longer for the body to recover from dramatic muscle loss, but with the right strategy, older adults can protect themselves from muscle atrophy and rebound easier if it occurs, no matter what their age." Signs of weaknessMuscle atrophy can occur from a disease that primarily affects the muscles, such as polymyositis (an autoimmune inflammatory disease). Diseases that rob the muscles of energy, like cancer and malnutrition, are other causes. But muscle loss most often is due to physiologic atrophy, which happens when people don't use their muscles enough for an extended period. Besides an injury or surgery, physiologic atrophy can occur because of osteoarthritis, which makes staying active difficult, or a sedentary lifestyle. Muscle atrophy can lead to
Muscle atrophy does not always happen after a physical setback. How a period of downtime affects you depends on your prior health, activity level, and amount of muscle mass. "Men who are regularly active have a much easier time preventing muscle atrophy even if they are off their feet for a while," says Klein. Still, it doesn't take long for the body to lose what it has gained. A 2015 study in the Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine found that older men who did eight weeks of strength training lost about 25% of their muscle gains after they stopped training for two weeks. "A sudden stop in activity is like slamming on the brakes and can be quite jarring to the body," says Klein. "Even minor muscle atrophy can cause some loss of strength and movement and make activity more difficult." Get a head start on recoveryIf you know you will be inactive for a stretch — like from an upcoming surgery — then you can work to prevent muscle atrophy. "If you are already active, continue what you are doing," says Jodi Klein, a physical therapist with Harvard's Brigham and Women's Hospital. If you are not a regular exerciser, use this time to get started. "The better shape you are in going into surgery, the better shape you will be coming out, and the less chance you have of enduring muscle loss," says Klein. Make a moveWhile you can quickly lose muscle because of physiologic atrophy, you also can get it back. It's best to get advice from your doctor. He or she can recommend an appropriate program to rebuild your lost muscle. This often includes physical therapy, strength training, cardio workouts, flexibility exercises, and a nutrition plan that may increase protein and calories. There is also much you can do on your own to increase and maintain muscle mass and strength. Almost any activity that works the upper and lower body can help you regain what you have lost. Weight training is ideal and can include workouts with dumbbells and resistance bands. Other muscle-building exercises include rowing, swimming, walking, and cycling (stationary or regular bike). "Focus on exercises you can do safely and consistently, or better yet, enlist a trainer to create a specialized plan based on your limitations and needs," says Klein. Keep in mind that you have to take small steps at first, and it may take time to get back to where you were. "But focus on the fact that you are moving," says Klein. "Any activity is always better than no activity." Image: © Paul Bradbury/Getty Images How much muscle do you lose in a month of inactivity?The more muscle mass you have, the more you have to lose and the harder it is to maintain that muscle mass. Studies show that you can lose muscle mass as quick as in just ten days of inactivity with a decrease in muscle size of nearly 11% without exercise.
Can you lose muscle due to inactivity?Muscle atrophy, the loss of muscle tissue, can emerge after a period of inactivity. Age-related muscle loss, called sarcopenia, is a natural part of getting older. But after an injury, illness, or any prolonged period of inactivity, muscle loss can occur faster, leading to muscle atrophy.
What is the average rate of muscle loss?Muscle mass decreases approximately 3–8% per decade after the age of 30 and this rate of decline is even higher after the age of 60 [4,5]. This involuntary loss of muscle mass, strength, and function is a fundamental cause of and contributor to disability in older people.
How long does it take for muscles to atrophy when bedridden?The most commonly used model, bed rest has been shown to cause muscle wasting within 10 days in healthy older adults [21]. However, when a head-down position is added (simulating microgravity), Ferrando et al. demonstrated loss of muscle mass within 7 days [22].
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Rate of muscle loss with inactivity
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