Preserving Healthy Muscle during Weight Loss

Abstract

Weight loss is the cornerstone of therapy for people with obesity because it can ameliorate or completely resolve the metabolic risk factors for diabetes, coronary artery disease, and obesity-associated cancers. The potential health benefits of diet-induced weight loss are thought to be compromised by the weight-loss-associated loss of lean body mass, which could increase the risk of sarcopenia (low muscle mass and impaired muscle function). The objective of this review is to provide an overview of what is known about weight-loss-induced muscle loss and its implications for overall physical function (e.g., ability to lift items, walk, and climb stairs). The currently available data in the literature show the following: ) compared with persons with normal weight, those with obesity have more muscle mass but poor muscle quality;) diet-induced weight loss reduces muscle mass without adversely affecting muscle strength; ) weight loss improves global physical function, most likely because of reduced fat mass;) high protein intake helps preserve lean body and muscle mass during weight loss but does not improve muscle strength and could have adverse effects on metabolic function; ) both endurance- and resistance-type exercise help preserve muscle mass during weight loss, and resistance-type exercise also improves muscle strength. We therefore conclude that weight-loss therapy, including a hypocaloric diet with adequate (but not excessive) protein intake and increased physical activity (particularly resistance-type exercise), should be promoted to maintain muscle mass and improve muscle strength and physical function in persons with obesity.

Changes in body composition with a hypocaloric diet combined with sedentary, moderate and high-intense physical activity: a randomized controlled trial.

“…These results might evidence that a combined program of aerobic and resistance-type exercise helps to preserve muscle mass during weight loss, results that matched those of a recent review [60].…”

Sarcopenic Obesity: Time to Meet the Challenge

“…Skeletal muscle changes are not uniformly observed in obese individuals, and heterogeneous phenotypes may contribute to their underestimation. Indeed a positive association between BMI and lean body mass has been reported in general population studies [23], and moderate increments in skeletal muscle mass may occur in obesity as a consequence of higher postural and ambulatory muscle work as well as potential direct anabolic effects of higher dietary intake of calorie proteins. It is however increasingly clear that profound skeletal muscle metabolism changes may occur in obesity and may lead to altered body composition with higher fat mass and substantial impairment of muscle mass and quality [24,25,26,27].…”

“…(3) Surgical and Medical Treatment: Bariatric procedures are becoming increasingly common and almost invariably lead to skeletal muscle catabolism, at least in the initial rapid weight loss phase, characterized by profoundly negative energy balance [50]; low- or very-low-calorie diets are associated with similar qualitative changes although to less pronounced degrees [23,51]. …”

“…Complex metabolic and lifestyle abnormalities [17,18,19,20,21,22] as well as weight reduction therapies per se [23] may however also compromise the ability to preserve muscle function and mass. Skeletal muscle changes are not uniformly observed in obese individuals, and heterogeneous phenotypes may contribute to their underestimation.…”

Dinapenia e qualidade de vida em indivíduos infectados pelo HIV

“…29 Therefore, comprehending these results for clinical practice is necessary, since the understanding of motor deficiencies associated with the infection can be addressed by specific interventions such as strength training and nutritional support. 30 Garcia et al 31 when evaluated the effects of combined training of HIV-infected patients, with 60-minute sessions of resistive exercises and aerobic training performed 3 times a week for 20 weeks, verified that this program managed to modify health-related variables. This program has also restored antioxidant mechanisms, proving to be beneficial for the quality of life of these patients.…”