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The question is pretty general. If it depends on how big you arfe, then sure, give me the varying answer, but in short, how long of a period of inaction does it take for your muscles to start breaking down and you start to lose your mass? and once it starts, does anything stop it? and at what rate does it continue?
Hopefully my question makes sense to you guys, but any input on this would be great. Thanks guys!
Are you talking 0 activity or just not working out?
My input only comes from my experience. Generally I find after 2 weeks of not working out I feel like I start to slowly get smaller.
When I snapped my arm a few years back, it atrophied pretty damn fast - seemed like major shrinkage in just a week of not moving it - and I still have a dent in my tricep from the surgery.
As said it depends if it is due to not working out are having a limb in a cast etc. If you mean not working out it also depends how you are eating. If you don't go to the gym for 10-14 days and eat in a way too make sure you don't lose muscle you won't lose much/any. You will lose strength however as your CNS will kind of forget the movements, you know a bit like being a beginner again but the stength will go back to normal within a week or so. If your not eating properly then you need to worry more, I was in hospital with quinsy (complication of tonsillitus) and had NO protein for 48 hours, only glucose and salt through a drip because I couldn't swallow. I had to have 2 weeks off the gym and obviously eating was impaired as I was very ill. When I went back my strength did take quite a hit and I had definitely lost some muscle mass but all was good in 2 weeks or so.
More examples, friend of mine barely went to the gym this whole first year at university. Went back home summer and within four weeks of training was better than ever. I think it's safe to say with an adequate diet including protein of course muscle atrophy isn't as severe as many would like to believe and it would seem 'muscle memory' certainly exists providing you do actually eat, as in this case your body will be forced to catabolise it's own tissue and there won't be any muscle left to remember haha.
I'd be shocked if with an adequate diet you lost any more than like 1lb of muscle every 3 weeks or so. Unless you have a very large lbm or normally take some kind of gear. These comments are from personal experience btw, I've taken breaks from the gym for a variety of reasons for up to 8 weeks and have noticed no huge decrease in muscle mass provided I was eating. Please feel free to correct me with science or whatever....
ok, I dont really need exact science, just an idea. but thanks for the input guys, I guess it makes a little more sense now