Largest deficit before muscle loss shown in studies?

[R5GT]

There's a problem with that assumption. See below.



Lost muscle would be relatively easier to gain back with proper training and nutrition. However: if you're cutting so fast that you're losing muscle it means that you could have had better results losing slower.

Consider what I posted before: One study compared a 30% deficit with a 19% deficit in athletes.

In spite of the difference in deficit size both groups achieved identical fat loss per week: 0.8% of body weight per week.

The extra weight that the 30% deficit group lost was coming from lean body mass.

The groups contained men and women. If you only look at the men: in 19% deficit they gained 1.05kg of LBM. The men in the 30% group lost 1.31 kg of LBM.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21558571

One problem with this study: Protein intake was on the low side. Perhaps the 30% deficit would have worked better with higher protein intake.

That surely has to be due to the low protein. I find it hard to believe that the guy that did the 5 week PSMF would have lost the same amount of fat in 5 weeks on a 19% Deficit as he did. Not saying he didn't lose any muscle but that extra deficit 100% reduced his time cutting the bodyfat significantly.

[Mrpb]

Funny how people are influenced by totally inaccurate comparison pictures. He got 10% larger in the after pic.

And then there's the problem with the posture and lighting.

Also notice how the guy had massive cheat meals and thinks those calories weren't stored. lol.

[Tommy W.]

That surely has to be due to the low protein. I find it hard to believe that the guy that did the 5 week PSMF would have lost the same amount of fat in 5 weeks on a 19% Deficit as he did. Not saying he didn't lose any muscle but that extra deficit 100% reduced his time cutting the bodyfat significantly.

Most likely the higher deficit group was miscounting\tracking calories otherwise there would have been a bigger spread. Going into such a big deficit is just begging for not counting everything as those deficits are EXTREMELY hard to stick to day in and day out for a consistent amount of time. Unless the subjects were monitored in a closed environment 24\7 these studies will never be remotely accurate

[Mrpb]

I find it hard to believe that the guy that did the 5 week PSMF would have lost the same amount of fat in 5 weeks on a 19% Deficit as he did.

That wasn't my point. Comparing a n=1 from the forums (who didn't even supply any data) with a specific study won't work well.

But yeah he could have been losing ~1 pound of muscle per week. If you don't care about that I guess PSMF could be interesting. Personally I would rather cut a bit slower, eat more, feel better etc.

[Mrpb]

This may interest some, discusses the Alpert paper.