Starvation and Muscle loss/gain

[dmanflynn]

I was watching a documentary the other day about some guy that had been stranded in the woods for weeks and was VERY skinny when he got rescued. Obviously he was under nurished and ate very little while working more than normally. Ive always heard that when you get starved for days like that and you get skinny its not only the fat that your body uses, but also you lose muscle as well. I realize that you lose your muscles because your not providing the right caloric intake to support them but that tissue can be regained once your re-nurished and get back to exercising right? Its just something that i was wondering about. I wouldnt think its any different than being a couch potato other than it happens much quicker. What say you?

[orionz06]

The body will use muscle for energy more quickly than it will fat.

[dmanflynn]

But its not like its indefinite right? Like eventually he would have gained it back in some form.

[thopkins22]

Ever meet a POW of the Japanese from WW2? Chances are that he regained a normal shape and regular muscle mass.

[orionz06]

But its not like its indefinite right? Like eventually he would have gained it back in some form.

I dont know about any "regrowth" persay, but starvation shouldnt impact the bodies ability to gain muscle, but I believe it would have to be worked for. I dont think you could go back to eating and develop muscle.

[WillBrink]

But its not like its indefinite right? Like eventually he would have gained it back in some form.

Meaning once he got some food? Sure. That's assuming the starvation period didn't last long enough to do permanent damage to organs, endocrine system, etc.

[120mm]

I have the numbers somewhere, but I did a crash diet accompanied with exercise back in 2007, and I ended up 80 pounds lighter, and my loss was 60/20 or something like that. 60 pounds fat, 20 pounds muscle.

I had access to a MILCOM and was able to do both immersion and the electronic fat % tests.

Seriously? It's worth it. It's a hell of a lot easier to gain back muscle than it is to lose 1.5 pounds a week for 60 weeks.

[orionz06]

I have the numbers somewhere, but I did a crash diet accompanied with exercise back in 2007, and I ended up 80 pounds lighter, and my loss was 60/20 or something like that. 60 pounds fat, 20 pounds muscle.

I had access to a MILCOM and was able to do both immersion and the electronic fat % tests.

Seriously? It's worth it. It's a hell of a lot easier to gain back muscle than it is to lose 1.5 pounds a week for 60 weeks.

Your losses dont sound like starvation though, perhaps just faster.

[Cardiac Nurse]

Patients in the hospital begin losing protein "muscle mass" within 24 hours of continued bedrest. They are able to rebuild the muscle mass that they lose with proper nutrients and exercise over time. (This is a general statement from my experience with patients whose bodies use their muscle mass for energy/survival during times of crisis.) When there is damage to organs especially those that are part of the endocrine (hormones) system-metabolism, glucose use, fat storage etc. can be affected.

The comment about the POWs from WWII is accurate from what I have researched. While some POW's suffered long-term health issues, rebuilding muscle mass occurred once good nutrition was restored and with regular exercise (by regular exercise I am talking about just the activities of daily living that we do for ourselves day-to-day, more exercise increasing muscle growth/capability even more). Even brushing your teeth gets hard when there is little nutrition and the body is in a catabolic state breaking itself down for energy.

[orionz06]

So the average Joe with 140lbs LBM who enters starvation and does not damage his systems will essentially return to 140lbs LBM once he regains a proper healthy diet and works his normal routine?