Does aerobic exercise counter the decrease in lean muscle mass associated with dieting?
In general, the combination of a moderate-intensity aerobic exercise program with a low-calorie diet does little to protect lean muscle mass during weight loss. During weight loss, the percentage of weight lost as lean muscle mass increases in direct proportion to the magnitude of the calorie deficit encountered by the body. As a result of rigorous fasting, the total body weight that is lost is approximately 50 percent fat and 50 percent lean muscle mass. During a very low-calorie diet (with adequate protein intake), the proportions improve to 75 percent fat and 25 percent lean muscle mass. During a low-calorie diet (approximately 1200-1500 calories per day), the proportions improve even more to 90 percent fat and only 10 percent lean muscle mass. Moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, on the other hand, has been found to have a very limited effect on these body composition proportions. Resistance training during weight loss, however, has been shown to provide a sufficient stimulus to of
