While increasing your workout and reducing your calorie consumption can help to get fitter if you are overweight, sometimes we end up overdoing what is required, and end up with negative results. One such outcome is loss of muscle mass.
Here are 5 bad fitness habits that will make you lose your muscle mass, instead of building muscle.
1. You’re not eating enough calories
Those aiming to lose weight may cut down on their calories too much. However, food is fuel for your muscles and not consuming enough calories will force your body to run on an empty tank. If you are cutting excessive calories and also engaging in intensive cardio, you will tend to lose muscle over time. Make sure your body is properly fueled before you engage in intense cardio. This is because apart from calories and fat, cardio will also burn your muscle once other energy sources are depleted.
2. You’re overtraining
Training consistently is necessary for building muscle. However, excess of everything, even training, is bad. It is important that you allow proper recovery to your body after consistent and vigorous training sessions. Apart from loss of muscle mass, overtraining can lead to fatigue, poor sleep quality, low energy, persistent muscle soreness, and mood swings.
3. You’re not consuming enough protein
Getting enough protein is a must for building and retaining muscle mass. Make sure you’re getting your protein from whole food sources and if you are consuming protein powders, then ensure they are of high-quality.The international recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for the amount of protein you should consume is 0.8 grams per kilogram of your body weight. Those aiming to optimize muscle growth and recover from workouts faster may need to increase their consumption. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends consuming between 1.2 and 2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily for the best results.
4. You’re not prioritizing sleep
Practicing good sleep hygiene with a high-quality, restorative sleep is a top priority to help you maintain and grow muscle. Your muscles repair and grow while you sleep. So experts recommend getting about eight hours of sleep each night. According to research, not getting good quality sleep or enough sleep can heighten your risk of losing muscle mass.
5. You’re doing too much cardio
The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend that healthy adults get a minimum of 150 minutes of moderately intense aerobic exercise per week. However, consistently going beyond this threshold, along with not eating enough calories can make it difficult for you to maintain or regain muscle mass. For muscle growth, it is important to find a good balance between cardio and strength training.
