Title: The Science of Detraining: How Long You Can Take a Break from the Gym Before You Lose Muscle Mass, Strength, and Endurance • Sci-Fit
Headings: The Science of Detraining: How Long You Can Take a Break from the Gym Before You Lose Muscle Mass, Strength, and Endurance
The Science of Detraining: How Long You Can Take a Break from the Gym Before You Lose Muscle Mass, Strength, and Endurance
Table of Contents
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Summary
How long it takes for muscles to atrophy
Strength loss when detraining
Endurance loss
How to maintain gains
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Introduction
When do you lose strength?
Strength Loss in Beginners
Strength Loss in Trained Lifters
When do You Lose Muscle Mass?
Muscle Atrophy in Beginners
Muscle Atrophy in Trained Lifters
Why do I look smaller after 1 week of detraining?
When do you lose endurance capacity?
Maintaining muscle mass, strength, and endurance during a longer break
Strength maintenance
Muscle mass maintenance
Maintaining endurance
Muscle memory
Regaining lost muscle and strength
How are myonuclei relevant to detraining?
Other “comeback” mechanisms
Other effects of detraining
Flexibility
Muscle characteristics
Cardiovascular characteristics
Metabolic characteristics
Conclusion
Limitations
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Content: Beginners can maintain endurance performance for at least 2 weeks without training. VO2 max declines by 6 to 20% in highly trained athletes at around 4 weeks of detraining. Recent VO2max gains can be reversed after 4 weeks. How to maintain gains
To maintain strength during detraining, train at least once per week (for beginners). Trained lifters could maintain strength gains with eccentric training. To maintain hypertrophy during detraining, train at least once per week (for beginners). There’s not much long-term data for trained lifters, but eccentric training could help. To maintain endurance during detraining, you can lower training volume by 60 to 90%, training frequency by no more than 20-30% in athletes but beginners can reduce it by 50 to 70%. Training intensity should be the same. If injured, use alternative training forms such as underwater running.