Tip: Can't Train? Take This to Retain Muscle Search Skip to content Menu Menu follow us Store Articles Community Loyal-T Club Loyal-T Points Rewards Subscribe to Save Search Search The World s Trusted Source & Community for Elite Fitness EatingSupplements Tip Can t Train Take This to Retain Muscle There' s no reason to lose muscle when life or illness keeps you away from the gym Here' s how to fight off atrophy by TC Luoma February 25, 2017January 25, 2022 Tags BCAA, Building Muscle, Nutrition & Supplements, Tips It could be a cold or flu that stops you from training, or maybe some relative up and dies on you, forcing you to drop everything and attend a funeral in Fresno. Or it could be that your peckerhead boss wants you to work overtime for three weeks straight to smooth out the Peterson account. Whatever the reason, life sometimes intervenes and we're unable to hit the gym. Panic sets in, followed by anger. We start to have disturbing visions of our muscle sloughing away like meat off a baby-back rib that's been in a slow cooker for the better part of day. Luckily, some Japanese researchers at Kobe University have found something that'll allow us to keep our muscle, or at least reduce the rate of muscle loss, when we're unable to train. BCAAs to the Rescue The researchers split rats up into four groups. One group served as the control, one had their hindlegs suspended (to introduce muscular atrophy), one received oral branched chain amino acids (isoleucine, leucine, and valine), and one group had their hindlegs suspended while receiving BCAAs. The rats that got BCAAs received 600 mg. per kilogram of bodyweight, which is the equivalent of a 200-pound guy taking about 9 grams of BCAA per day. After 14 days, the scientists measured various parameters, including muscle weight and cross-sectional area. While the BCAAs couldn't completely prevent inactivity from shrinking the rat leg muscles in the BCAA plus suspended leg group, it really slowed it down. Based on further measurements, they concluded that the BCAAs reduced atrophy through "inhibition of the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway," and that "oral BCAA administration appears to have the potential to prevent disuse muscle atrophy." How to Use This Info While BCAAs are a useful adjunct to training in general, they can also be a lifesaver when it comes to preventing your hard-earned gains from slipping away during periods of inactivity. To keep from losing muscle during downtimes, take 8 to 10 grams a day of a high-quality BCAA peptide formulation, preferably split up into two doses. Reference Maki T1, Yamamoto D, Nakanishi S, Iida K, Iguchi G, Takahashi Y, Kaji H, Chihara K, Okimura Y. "Branched-chain amino acids reduce hindlimb suspension-induced muscle atrophy and protein levels of atrogin-1 and MuRF1 in rats." Nutr Res. 2012 Sep;32(9):676-83. Get The T Nation Newsletters Don' t Miss Out Expert Insights To Get Stronger, Gain Muscle Faster, And Take Your Lifting To The Next Level related posts Eating The 30-Day Bro Diet The traditional bodybuilding diet looks bland to the general public, but here's why you should try it at least once. Diet Plan, Diet Strategy, Feeding the Ideal Body, Nutrition & Supplements Paul Carter June 29 Supplements Tip No Need to Eat So Many Fruits & Veggies New research says we don't need as much as we thought. Check out the science. Dietary Myth Busting, Nutrition & Supplements, Super Health, Superfood, Tips TC Luoma September 15 Supplements Tip A New Reason to Take Creatine There are many good reasons to take creatine. Here's a new one that's pretty darn exciting. Creatine, Nutrition & Supplements, Super Health, Tips Rudy Mawer October 21 Eating Tip Grow Up Stop Making This Diet Mistake Change this common behavior and you might actually reach your body composition goals. Calvin Huynh May 13