How much muscle depends on the length of time you were immobile, but it's quite normal to lose as much as 30% in just two weeks. The good news is even moderate physical activity, like walking, can help reduce muscle loss.
Yes, it is possible to lose muscle during a vacation with minimal physical activity. When you are not engaging in regular exercise or strength training, your muscles can begin to atrophy or decrease in size and strength.
Fasting, prolonged or otherwise, does not cause muscle loss. It's the lack of stimulating your muscles that causes muscle loss.
When it comes to regaining muscle mass, it can take longer than the study results suggest, Beyer said. The general guideline is that every week you're not working out or immobilized, it takes about three weeks to recover and return to your previous level, he explained.
Unfortunately, that's a misleading and oversimplified statement. That's not what science has shown us for a long time. The real answer is, it's complicated. Yes, your body will burn fat before it starts breaking down significant amounts of muscle.
However, from around two weeks after stopping exercising you could begin to see some very gradual muscle tissue loss, also known as atrophy. Over time this could lead to lower strength, poorer balance and an increased risk of injury.
Physiological muscle memory
While they may lose muscle mass due to their inactivity, it will typically return more quickly than when they first put it on. This form of muscle memory occurs because when you first build muscle, your body adds new cells to those muscles.
In the first ten days to two weeks of inactivity/de-training, there is a measurable loss in cardiovascular fitness, but even this level of decrease is only about 2-3% drop in values such as VO2 Max, MAP (maximum aerobic power), or FTP (functional threshold power).
The bottom line on taking a week off without training
Is that a week away from resistance training shouldn't hinder strength or muscle size according to the research we currently have.
"When you go on vacation for a weekend, a week, or even two weeks, it's physiologically impossible to gain that much fat," he told BI in 2022. In addition to water weight, the food inside the stomach can actually cause the scale to go up, he added.
Generally, it takes anywhere from two to 12 weeks to regain cardiovascular endurance and muscle strength and feel like you're back at your previous level of fitness.
When you have been training for a long time and you go on vacation for 2, 3 or even 4 weeks, there is no real loss of muscle mass... it's all in your head! On the other hand, what is inevitable is that you will feel less energetic than usual, since your muscles will no longer be congested like after your training.
As a rough guide, you'll probably notice some initial changes in the first four to six weeks, but longer-term changes (what you're working toward) will often take around eight to 12 weeks.
Although a small amount of natural muscle loss will inevitably occur with age, it can be slowed and sometimes even reversed.
The amount of time it takes to develop muscle memory depends on various factors, such as the complexity of the movement, the frequency of practice, and the individual's level of experience. In general, it may take several weeks or months of consistent practice for muscle memory to develop.
Vitamin D may be protective for muscle loss; a more alkalinogenic diet and diets higher in the anti-oxidant nutrients vitamin C and vitamin E may also prevent muscle loss.
These studies tell us that you probably won't see noticeable muscle loss within two weeks of detraining, as long as you're bothering to get up and get dressed.
Unhealthy eating is the biggest driver of big bellies. Too many starchy carbohydrates and bad fats are a recipe for that midsection to expand. Instead, get plenty of veggies, choose lean proteins, and stay away from fats from red meats. Choose healthier fats in things like fish, nuts, and avocados.
If the number on the scale is changing but your body fat percentage isn't budging, it's a sign that you are losing muscle mass. Also, when you lose muscle mass, your body doesn't shape the way you want. You will notice shrinking circumferences but fat (you can pinch and check) still remains the same.
These changes might be subtle at first—like your clothes fitting a bit looser or noticing a slight difference in the mirror. Even if the transformation isn't dramatic right away, it's a sign that your efforts are paying off. A noticeable difference often comes after losing about 5% of your body weight.