Burning muscle

[Beth]

I know that when you're dieting and regularly working out, there's a possibility to lose muscle, not just fat. What I want to know is that what can I do to avoid losing muscle and, also, if I do lose muscle how bad is this for me and will it grow back?

[freddyboy]

First of all, any muscle you do lose you can rebuild...if this wasn't the case we'd all be in A LOT of trouble. Still, of course, it's not good to burn muscles. The best way to make sure you don't is to make sure you're not always working out the same muscles and to add some strength training in your fat burning routine. It can't all be about cardio after all :D.

[madscientist]

Yes, any muscle you burn can be replenished. If you are burning muscle it's not great for you and you will likely know because you might start experiencing symptoms such as fatigue, a sour mood, and lack of balance. If you just can't seem to get going and exercise is a real chore and you're feeling "the burn" you're not burning fat.

[Beth]

Phew! I'm glad to know that if I burn muscle it can replenish. I'll keep an eye out for muscle burning symptoms and will cycle my exercise so I don't always workout the same group of muscles. That said, with the amount of fat I have I don't see this being a problem.