Fasting Causes Muscle Loss?
Yes, you read that right, fasting does cause muscle loss…..but the kind of muscle loss that makes you stronger and healthier!
Well…..actually it’s not really muscle loss, as in muscle fiber reduction, but rather muscle protein breakdown.
And…. it is not really all that noticeable to most fasters because it is very slight and stops within 24-48 hours.
There is this beautiful symphony of intelligent healing and literal rejuvenation that occurs while fasting and the process of muscle protein breakdown is a great way to illustrate that.
We use our bodies, or we don’t use our bodies, but either way, we develop weak, damaged, or old cells within our muscles like we do in almost every other tissue of our body.
These damaged cells hold us back, lower metabolism, decrease strength, lose efficiency, don’t store glycogen as well, and so on.
When we fast the body starts to target these damaged cells for potential “upgrades”.
The “upgrade” process goes like this:
- Identify the damaged cell in need of an upgrade
- Efficiently break down the damaged cell for recycling
- Call for the NEW replacement cell to be made from scratch
- Incorporate the NEW cell to replace the damaged one
- Start to integrate and lock in that new upgrade
Result: A new, stronger, younger, healthier cell
Compounding result: stronger, healthier, younger tissue, muscle, brain, organ, skin….where ever this process is occurring.
This is called healing. This is called improvement. This is called anti-aging.
Will you lose strength from this muscle protein breakdown and upgrade process?
Not if done correctly. The body keeps this process under tight control as to NOT risk the functional output of the muscle and will RAISE HGH (Human Growth Hormone) once done to PRESERVE our actual muscle fiber from prolonged fasting.
In fact, if planned and executed well one will be measurably and visually stronger and leaner because of it. I call it the “Anabolic Rebound”.
Always try and keep the big picture in mind…..and I hope this picture below helps.
Fast on my friends! We can do better!
