In this article, we will understand the importance of maintaining lean muscle mass. People who are interested in optimizing their health and body composition are delved into maintaining lean muscle mass. Maintaining it comes with various advantages for your overall health goals and of course for your specific health goals.
Lean muscle supports your various health goals like staying strong, performing better in sports, or aging gracefully. This guide will help you understand better how to maintain lean muscle for an optimized health.
The importance of nutrition for lean muscle mass
The first and foremost thing when it comes to maintaining muscle mass is focusing on your nutrition. Nutrition is the fuel for your body which supports muscle retention. It plays as the foundation stone for muscle prevention; that is why you need to focus on balanced meals throughout your journey of muscle retention.
Here are some considerations you need to make while focusing on your nutrition for maintaining lean muscle mass.
Protein intake:
Protein is the building block of the muscle tissues which makes it a necessity in your diet for maintaining lean muscle mass. You need to focus on an adequate amount of protein intake that will meet the requirements of your body.
Ensure to consume 1.6-2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of your body weight which is recommended protein intake for an adult.
For beginners you need to ensure to consume the high range of recommended protein intake for better performance and efficient results.
Include high-quality protein sources such as chicken breast, turkey, fish, eggs, Greek yogurt, tofu and legumes.
You also have to take care of the timings of your protein intake. First of all make sure to add a protein source in each of your meals including your snacks. You have to consume a protein source within 30-60 minutes of your workout. You have to distribute protein sources across meals to maximize muscle protein synthesis so it can aid post workout recovery.
Caloric Intake:
In order to maintain muscle mass you need to focus on your calorie intake. Ensure to create a caloric surplus to build muscle because they need nutrients for recovery. If you are not consuming enough calories your body will break down muscle tissues for energy doing the exact opposite of muscle building.
Maintain lean muscle mass by ensuring to consume enough calories for your maintenance level, which is basically the number of calories required to sustain your current weight.
Focus on nutrient dense foods by prioritizing whole foods like vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats and lean proteins that will help in maintaining stable energy levels to support recovery.
The Role of Carbohydrates and Fats
Protein is an essential dietary component for maintaining muscle mass but so are the other two macronutrients, namely, carbohydrates and fats. They also play a vital role when it comes to maintaining your lean muscle mass.
Carbohydrates are the energy source for our body. They keep us fueled during workouts and prevent the body from using protein as a source of energy. You need to keep your meals balanced by ensuring to add complex carbohydrates in your diet that will ensure you get the right nutrients for energy purposes.
Fats are essential for your body because they help in hormone production. The major hormones included in muscle tissue regeneration are testosterone and growth hormone; that is why you need to consume food sources of healthy fats including fatty fish, olive oil and seeds.
The importance of strength training for lean muscle mass
Strength training is a crucial aspect of muscle building. Along with focusing on nutrition you also have to ensure to indulge in strength training for effective results. You have to include strength training for maintaining your muscle mass because you need to challenge your muscles regularly to stimulate growth and prevent muscle breakdown.
Progressive overload:
Regularly keep on challenging your muscles by increasing the resistance on your muscles. You can do this by increasing the reps and sets of your exercises or the time under tension, this means increasing the time of your muscles working under each rep.
Bringing a variety in your exercises can also help you increase the resistance with time. Include compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, bench presses and rows as these are all effective for maintaining overall muscle mass.
Frequency and volume:
Keep consistency in your exercise routine. Do not skip your exercises, though you can hop between cardio and strength training but do miss a day. 3-4 sessions of strength training a week would be enough for maintaining lean muscle mass but ensure to target different muscle groups each day, so each group can get sufficient time for recovery.
For beginning you should focus on 10-12 sets per set for each muscle group per week and then eventually increase it to just 20 for optimal results. Ensure to spread these sets evenly throughout the week so each muscle group can get enough time for recovery.
When you focus on compound movements you are actually ensuring to engage multiple muscle groups simultaneously. This makes muscle prevention more effective. That is why it is advised to include compound movement rather than isolation exercises when trying to maintain lean muscle mass.
Recovery and rest:
Recovery and rest are not just essential for muscle building but also to maintain them. Indulging in workout means you have to prioritize rest days as well. Muscle repair and growth when your body is in rest mode especially when you are sleeping. Prioritize rest days to ensure adequate recovery of your muscles.
Prioritize your sleep because that is the prime time for your recovery of the muscles. Aim to get at least 7-9 hours of sleep per night so you can get adequate time for your muscles to recover. In fact, light activity such as walking, yoga or stretching can help relieve the muscle soreness and support muscle recovery process.
Supplements:
While building and maintaining muscle you can consider taking supplements in your diet. Though diet should be your primary source of nutrition, you can add supplements to support your muscle maintenance efforts.
Whey or plant-based protein:
Protein powders are a convenient way to meet your boyd’ protein needs. Whey protein powder is usually preferred right after your workout so you can consume protein that will aid in protein synthesis.
Creatine monohydrate:
Creatine is one of the most effective supplements in muscle preservation. It helps your muscles to produce energy during heavy lifting and high-intensity exercise. You can take 3-5 grams of creatine per day that can help to maintain muscle mass and improve your performance.
Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs):
BCAAs, specifically leucine, isoleucine and valine which are essential amino acids help in reducing muscle soreness and prevent muscle breakdown during exercise. You can take BCAAs through supplements if your needs are not met through food.
Lifestyle factors:
For maintaining lean muscle mass you need to focus on two essential things, first is your diet and the other one is strength training but apart from these two, there are some lifestyle factors that impact your health journey significantly.
Stress management:
Chronic stress can lead to muscle breakdown instead of muscle building which could tarnish your efforts of gaining and maintaining muscles. Ensure to lead a stress free lifestyle by practicing stress management techniques like deep breathing, yoga, meditation, journaling, socializing and doing activities that you like so you can keep cortisol levels in check.
Stay active throughout the day:
Keep your body in movement. Try not to go inactive for longer periods of time. If you have a sitting job, ensure to take small breaks and take a walk in your cabin or office. These activities like stretching or performing bodyweight exercises can help you to maintain muscle mass and improve blood circulation.
Stay hydrated:
In order to maintain lean muscle mass you have to keep yourself hydrated throughout the day because it is essential for muscle function and recovery. Drink 8-10 glasses of water throughout the day to be sufficiently hydrated.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to prevent muscle mass loss?
Ans. To prevent muscle mass loss you first need to focus on your diet. Ensure you add protein in your diet so it can help retain lean muscle mass of your body.
How long can you maintain muscle mass?
Ans. After 30 you will see decline in your muscle mass because age is a prominent factor that affects your muscle maintenance. With proper diet and exercise you can lighten the impact but losing muscle mass after a particular age is normal.
What to eat to gain muscle?
Ans. In order to build muscle you need to add high-quality protein sources in your diet like eggs, fish, poultry, legumes, tofu, tempeh.
