Muscle catabolism in sport, because it occurs
As we said above, one of the main causes of muscle mass
destruction is excessive training or inadequate nutrition, or even the
combination of both. For example, the lack or insufficiency of carbohydrates
during physical performance can give rise to two different events that both
lead to muscle catabolism, let's see them together:
• increase in the oxidation of amino acids (for energy purposes) obtained from protein foods and which therefore cannot be used as plastic substrates to assist muscle protein turnover;
• increase
in muscle proteolysis promoted by the depletion of glycogen stores, this
glucose polymer which, stored in the liver and muscles, represents the main
form of energy that the body uses for its needs.
However, one very important thing should be pointed out, if
the protein catabolism is induced by a physical performance not adequately
compensated with nutrition, the muscle groups affected by the demolition
process will only be those involved in the athletic gesture, unlike what
happens instead if the catabolic process is induced by other factors not
inherent in physical effort.
Weight loss diet and muscle catabolism
Another interesting factor and directly connected with the loss of muscle mass is the weight loss diet that many bodybuilders, but also other types of amateur and professional athletes, follow to decrease body fat in an attempt to enhance muscle separation by obtaining a denser, more sculpted physique. he is hot. All this on paper seems to have a reasonable motivation, but in reality very often the attempt to lose weight also leads to the loss of muscles and with a higher ratio compared to fat, let's see why. Even a healthy athlete who eats properly can run into catabolism, this happens mainly when eating excessively restrictive carbohydrate intake, a diet that is commonly known as "low carb". Carbohydrates are essential for cellular respiration and prevent too many amino acids from being oxidized in the gluconeogenesis process which transforms them into energy when glycogen stores are depleted or low. The body's response in the absence of carbohydrates is the release of some hormones including catecholamines, glutathione and cortisol, all substances that our body produces in response to strong psychophysical stress. While some of these hormones can induce lipolysis, that is the degradation of fats, on the other hand they are also responsible for the demolition of lean muscle mass, so they should be kept under strict control if you follow a very restrictive diet. The body's response in the absence of carbohydrates is the release of some hormones including catecholamines, glutathione and cortisol, all substances that our body produces in response to strong psychophysical stress. While some of these hormones can induce lipolysis, that is the degradation of fats, on the other hand they are also responsible for the demolition of lean muscle mass, so they should be kept under strict control if you follow a very restrictive diet. The body's response in the absence of carbohydrates is the release of some hormones including catecholamines, glutathione and cortisol, all substances that our body produces in response to strong psychophysical stress. While some of these hormones can induce lipolysis, that is the degradation of fats, on the other hand they are also responsible for the demolition of lean muscle mass, so they should be kept under strict control if you follow a very restrictive diet.
Muscle catabolism in vegans
For those who are vegan and practice sports, the possibility of experiencing a significant decrease in lean muscle mass is far from remote, which is not the case for those who are sedentary and follow a vegan diet, however varied and well-sized. This can happen because the quantities of bioavailable essential amino acids are low in those subjects who do not eat animal foods, we must exclude from this category vegetarians who do not eat meat but other animal sources do (see milk, eggs, etc.). If you practice intense, constant and prolonged sports activities and do not eat animal foods, it is very likely that your muscle mass will not only not increase but will gradually decrease over time. This is not only due to a lack of certain plastic nutrients in males, but also the almost total absence of cholesterol, a fat that is too demonized by the media but which actually performs very precious functions. In fact, cholesterol, in adequate and not excessive quantities, is very useful, it is in fact used as a basic substrate for the natural synthesis of testosterone, a very powerful male hormone with an anabolic and androgenic effect. It is no coincidence that men who have been following a vegan diet for years have deficiencies in this hormone and develop feminization conditions characterized by decreased libido, loss of muscle mass and body hair and clearing of the voice. it is in fact used as a basic substrate for the natural synthesis of testosterone, a very powerful male hormone with an anabolic and androgenic effect. It is no coincidence that men who have been following a vegan diet for years have deficiencies in this hormone and develop feminization conditions characterized by decreased libido, loss of muscle mass and body hair and clearing of the voice. it is in fact used as a basic substrate for the natural synthesis of testosterone, a very powerful male hormone with an anabolic and androgenic effect. It is no coincidence that men who have been following a vegan diet for years have deficiencies in this hormone and develop feminization conditions characterized by decreased libido, loss of muscle mass and body hair and clearing of the voice.
Overtraining and stress muscle catabolism
Another condition that determines the process of destruction
of muscle mass that is not adequately compensated is overtraining, also called
overtraining. It is a condition in which the body is no longer able to fully
recover from the physical efforts made and therefore, instead of obtaining the
maintenance or increase of muscle mass, the exact opposite is achieved. Not
only that, in cases of severe overtraining there is also a situation of
excessive presence of cortisol, a hormone, also known by the term "stress
hormone", which has a strong proteolytic component, that is, it is able to
promote the degradation of muscle mass. slim. Nevertheless, we must remember
that cortisol is a necessary compound for our body since it performs important
functions, therefore, when we are talking about cortisol linked to muscle
catabolism, we must necessarily speak of excess cortisol. As proof of the above
it should be noted that some athletes, who use drugs, try to completely
eliminate the presence of the hormone but this is a gross error as in this way
functional problems can occur, but this is another matter.Here is a small list
of symptoms that may make you think you are overtrained:
• chronic
fatigue and decreased physical strength even in the presence of adequate
nutrition and rest;
• frequent
gastrointestinal arrhythmias and disorders;
• loss of
appetite, insomnia and muscle soreness;
• loss of
motivation and self-esteem;
• depression
and sadness.
Common symptoms of muscle catabolism
As for the possible symptoms of muscle catabolism, it must
be said that these are obviously correlated with the sudden and, in some cases
localized, loss of muscle mass, so we can list them as follows:
• general
decrease in lean muscle mass;
• localized
reduction of lean muscle mass;
• weakness
in one or more both lower and upper limbs;
• very
prolonged physical inactivity;
• difficulty
in equilibrium including ambulatory and not only in physical performance;
• lack of
desire to train.
Insulin and muscle catabolism
There is another interesting aspect to consider when it
comes to proteolysis and muscle catabolism, we talk about the release of
insulin. Insulin is a highly anabolic hormone that is usually produced in
response to too high a blood sugar. When too many fast-absorbing carbohydrates
are consumed, the body produces the hormone that regulates blood sugar levels
to avoid hyperglycemia. The problem, however, arises from the moment that
insulin leads blood sugar levels to too low quantities and therefore cortisol
is produced to demolish muscle mass and use amino acids to rebalance blood
sugar. This is why you should alway check the type of carbohydrates you consume
in your diet, preferring slow-release carbohydrates such as rye or oats.
Night muscle catabolism: what's true?
Many athletes, especially those who are more attentive to
diet, recovery and training, fear that muscle catabolism may occur during the
night, as you cannot eat while you sleep. With regard to this discourse, it is
necessary to remember that, although the lack of carbohydrate and protein
intake can give rise to catabolism, it is also true that avoiding sleeping
peacefully in order to continue to eat even at night, would have greater
negative effects. In fact, the lack of sleep leads to a series of conditions that
certainly do not help the increase of muscle mass, on the contrary, they
severely hinder it. Think again about the release of cortisol, a powerful
catabolic hormone, or to the tiredness that would be felt the following day and
that would undoubtedly have a negative impact on training. So how can we reduce
nocturnal catabolism as much as possible? Simple, eat some food before bed and
don't worry too much about the little mass you may lose during the night as the
positive aspects of a restful sleep will certainly be greater.
How to counteract the loss of muscle mass?
Before seeing what are the possible strategies to avoid
losing muscle mass, we must remember that a minimum of loss, although
temporary, will always be there as it is induced by normal and physiological
protein turnover. Having said this, the first factor that must be observed in
relation to the preservation of muscle mass is undoubtedly nutrition, since it
is precisely the lack of an adequate diet that is the main factor that
determines the loss of lean muscle mass. Obviously, the type of diet you follow
must also be sized according to the type of training you do and also to your
lifestyle, if for example you train for 10 hours a week and do a strenuous job,
you will certainly need a higher calorie and protein intake than a person who
trains for 5 hours a week and performs administrative work sitting at a desk.
Recovery also plays a fundamental role in the maintenance and / or increase of
lean muscle mass and not only for the reasons, related to cortisol, which we
talked about above, but also because it is while we sleep that the body makes a
particular effort to regenerate the muscle tissues damaged by training. Last
but not least, the release of some anabolic hormones that occurs in the first hours
of deep sleep, see testosterone and natural gh, two compounds that give a hand
to protein synthesis and therefore to the reconstitution of muscle tissue. but
also because it is while we sleep that the body makes a particular effort to
regenerate the muscle tissues damaged by training. Last but not least, the
release of some anabolic hormones that occurs in the first hours of deep sleep,
see testosterone and natural gh, two compounds that give a hand to protein
synthesis and therefore to the reconstitution of muscle tissue. but also
because it is while we sleep that the body makes a particular effort to
regenerate the muscle tissues damaged by training. Last but not least, the
release of some anabolic hormones that occurs in the first hours of deep sleep,
see testosterone and natural gh, two compounds that give a hand to protein
synthesis and therefore to the reconstitution of muscle tissue.
Use food supplements to counteract muscle catabolism
As always, supplements, if used properly, can help and
support results, but only if they are taken in a certain way and not considered
as a substitute for the normal diet. In fact the supplement must add what is
missing in your diet, as long as there is something missing in your diet, this
is obvious. In this particular case we can mention three types of supplements
that can be a valuable aid in combating muscle catabolism, and therefore:
• energy
supports to make the best use of glycogen stores in the synthesis of Atp, we
are therefore talking about creatine and magnesium which are directly connected
with the release of cellular energy;
• branched
bcaa and essential amino acid pools, to be used if, for any reason, it is not
possible to reach the optimal protein content with the diet;
• specific
compounds against proteolysis, see KIC, HMB and phosphatidylserine , the latter
very valid for counteracting the presence of cortisol;
• slow-release
proteins , ideal to be taken in the evening before bed to provide the body with
adequate plastic substrate during the hours of sleep.
There are also numerous other nutrients that can be, even
indirectly, of help in countering muscle catabolism, let's make an exhaustive
list:
• carnitine
, a compound that, where there are low amounts of glycogen, helps the oxidation
of fats to transform them into energy and at the same time decreases the
potential catabolism induced by the oxidation of amino acids, another form of
energy alternative to glycogen;
• hormonal
stimulators of testosterone and GH such as tribulus terrestris , Peruvian maca
and citrulline, nutrients that will optimize the blood levels of anabolic
hormones, helping to preserve muscle mass;
• vitargo
and other rapidly absorbed carbohydrates, to be used before and during
prolonged and intense physical activities to prevent the lack of sugar from
inducing hypoglycemia which, in turn, is a reason for the release of cortisol.
In summary
• it is a
decrease in lean muscle mass induced by inadequate nutrition or other
pathological or external factors to the body;
• it can
occur in both sports and sedentary subjects;
• intense
and prolonged training causes it momentarily;
• an
adequate diet is essential to compensate for physical effort and avoid
catabolism;
• the lack
of night rest is a reason for triggering muscle proteolysis and therefore
catabolism;
• some
hormones support muscle growth while others, such as cortisol, hinder it;
• for those
who are vegan and practice sports, muscle catabolism is a common condition;
• food
supplements can help avoid catabolism and maintain lean mass.