Yahoo Answers: Does Muscle Build Up More Easily After Atrophy?

Question

So I was into weight training last year, during high school. Then I graduated and lost my access to a gym, and most of my muscle with it. I was wondering if muscle builds up faster the second time around, if it's been developed before and then atrophied (as opposed to building it up for the first time).

Question Best Answer – Chosen by Voters

In a word, yes, your body builds muscle faster after it's atrophied. It's called "muscle memory." There was an infamous case of muscle memory back when Arthur Jones, creator of the Nautilus system, used a young and just rehabbed Casey Viator in his studies on high intensity training. Viator, a Mr America, had been in an industrial accident and had lost considerable muscle size. In fact, he lost over 30 pounds as a result of the accident and subsequent allergic reaction to one of his medications.

Jones, the marketer, sought to use Casey as a case study of the effectiveness of his Nautilus equipment and high intensity training techniques. In 28 days, Viator gained 45 pounds.

It was very easy for Viator to regain the weight that he had lost. Most of the weight gain was from muscle memory, not due to the efficacy of the training equipment or method.

An "average" man who had never attained that sort of size would have gained relatively little weight in such a short period of time.

Note, though, that gaining considerable muscle mass in a short period of time is possible, though very difficult. It's much easier to regain size than it is to build it in the first place.

This is why guys like Arnold Schwarzenegger can leave competition for YEARS (he retired in 1975 and returned to win the Mr Olympia again in 1980) and train for literally a few months and regain their previous stature.

So, long story short, it's far easier to regain size than it is to build it in the first place. You should be back in top form within 2-3 months of hitting the gym hard.

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The Best Shakes for Weight Loss: Protein Shakes

Everyone loves a good shake and what more could someone ask for than an awesome shake that doubles as a weight loss product? Protein shakes have become increasingly popular throughout the years and if they are taken correctly, they can easily increase the amount of weight you are losing.

First and foremost, protein shakes offer many benefits. For example, many athletes use them to help the body recover after an intense workout or to help repair damaged muscle. Both of these scenarios demonstrate protein intake after a workout, however, depending on the type of protein in the shake, there are different timing requirements.

Listed below are some of the most common types of protein found in protein shakes. They are used differently and at different times.

Casein protein: Casein is a protein found in dairy products, such as milk and cheese. This protein clots and gels up inside of you stomach causing a very slow digestion. Protein shakes containing casein should be take right before bed, due to the slow digestion that it promotes.

Egg protein: Found in eggs obviously, egg protein normally takes anywhere from an hour and a half to three hours to absorb into your body. The egg yolks and the egg whites are used for different objectives. The egg whites, being most common, contain a variety of amino acids and many different types of vitamins. Other proteins do not have the advantage of the egg protein’s characteristics.

Soy protein: Soy protein has the most complete supply of protein when it comes to vegetables. It is also split into two types, kind of like egg protein. Soy breaks off into soy protein concentrate and soy protein isolate, although, soy isolate is the more expensive and more pure protein. Regardless, soy is a type of protein that is digested very rapidly.

Whey protein: Whey protein is also derived from milk. Like soy, it too, has two different types: Whey protein concentrate and whey protein isolate. Like before, the isolate is more pure and more expensive. Whey isolate also contains less fat and lactose. Whey has the characteristic that egg whites possess, a wide range of amino acids. Those amino acids are the building blocks of protein. Likewise, the essential amino acids that we need are not made from within us. That is what makes whey protein so important.

There are still different types of protein out there; these are just the most common. Reading up on the type of protein you plan on taking is a good idea. Make sure that the specific protein will work to target what you need. Protein shakes allow you get into shape. In turn, getting into shape could result in weight loss and in many cases weight loss is the cause of healthily lowering your blood pressure, getting rid of acne, lowering cholesterol, and most importantly, increasing self-esteem. As stated before, protein shakes have become so popular among the fitness world.  So, whether you are a super star athlete, a body builder, or just someone who likes to get in a workout every now and then, there is a perfect protein shake out there for you.  All you have to do is find out which one suits you best.