How Yo-Yo Dieting Causes Permanent Muscle Loss, According to New Research

The up-and-down of losing and regaining weight, known as yo-yo dieting, can take a toll on muscle health long after the pounds have been shed. A new study indicates that weight regained is possible with body fat, but it doesn't appear muscle tissue gained can be completely recovered.

The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) researchers looked at the long-term effect of repeated weight changes on muscle mass. Their results are published in the peer-reviewed journal Radiology and suggest that individuals who had suffered multiple weight changes had lost a substantially larger amount of thigh muscle compared to those with a stable weight.

Many Adults Followed Study

More than 1400 adults were studied. A total of more than 1400 adults were studied.

1,433 adults (mean age 61 years) were included in the study. Over four years, participants were followed with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and with other health and lifestyle data.

During the study, researchers found a smaller number of people for whom body weight had varied more than 5% from the start to the end of the study. They were then compared to people who maintained a more stable weight.

Increased Muscle Loss Associated to Weight Cycling

The researchers measured changes in thigh muscle volume, using advanced image analysis. The researchers found that participants who experienced weight gain and loss had lost an average of 3.71% of their muscle volume in their thighs. The people who had stable body weight only lost an average of 1.03% of their muscle mass.

These results did not change when adjusted for the following factors:

 > Age

> Sex

> Body Mass Index (BMI).

> Physical activity

> Dietary habits

This indicates that repeated weight cycling may lead to more muscle loss.

Why Muscle May Not Return

People tend to lose both fat and muscle tissue when they lose weight. The findings from this study indicate, however, that it is easier for fat to be regained than muscle during weight regain.

The researchers pointed out one case, in which a person's BMI remained virtually constant for four years, but his thigh muscle volume declined significantly. This clearly points out the fact that body weight is not a reliable indicator for body composition change.

Implications for Weight-Loss Treatments

The results also contribute to the continuing worry overweight gain following the discontinuation of some obesity drugs, such as GLP-1 receptor agonists, which have been reported to cause weight gain in some clinical studies.

This study wasn't specifically focused on individuals taking weight-loss drugs, but the authors noted that maintaining muscle tissue should be a key objective whenever weight loss does happen, particularly if weight is subsequently regained.

Protecting Muscle During Weight Loss

Exercise caution when losing weight. Take care of your muscles when you are losing weight.

Healthy weight management should not only be about losing body fat but keeping healthy muscle mass as well, experts suggest. The following strategies could be used to help maintain muscle:

> Consuming adequate amounts of protein for muscle repair.

> Engaging in frequent resistance, strength training exercises.

> Losing weight slowly not extreme dieting.

> Sticking to a plan of balanced nutrition which will maintain weight over the long-term.

> Seeking medical advice before beginning and ending weight loss programs.

Takeaway

The repeated weight loss and gains, the study shows, can have consequences that extend beyond being on the scales. Fat can come back in a relatively short amount of time, but muscle tissue might not rebuild as quickly. Taking care of muscle by nutrition, exercise and healthy weight-loss approaches can help manage the impact of yo-yo dieting over the long-term.

The data in this article is based upon a recently released scientific study. The results indicate a correlation between repeated weight cycles and muscle loss, but they do not strongly suggest that the repeated cycles of weight loss and gain are a primary cause of irreversible muscle loss in all individuals. Long-term effects of this remain to be better understood.

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