Cutting weight

rondog

Hi folks

When cutting weight,what is the best way to do it without losing muscle mass or is it possible?
When i train and am building muscle it seems like such a waste doing this training if i have to sweat it off or break down the muscle in the sauna before a competition.
Can you take a small bit of protein shake and then hit the sauna,in the hope the protein shake will discourage muscle breakdown and just sweat off the body fat??

any ideas?

cheers

Roper

You don't break down muscle in a sauna. If you did all those Swedes would be tiny.

You're cutting fluids in a sauna, and it's really not the best way to go and should be an emergency route only. If you're an amateur you shouldn't be cutting too much weight anyway and it should be managed in the weeks before.

rondog

but if its first thing in the morning and ive minimal fluids or calories does the body not break down the muscle for energy??
,im just confused with this, dont want to get too technical as I do normally manage the weight in teh weeks before as you said but the last time i was a bit over as i wasnt keeping an eye on the weight.

Clive

Without getting too technical at all - getting in a sauna makes you sweat, and when you lose fluids without replacing them, you lose weight.

When you replace those fluids by drinking, the weight goes back on.

You won't lose any muscle by using a sauna to sweat out a few pounds before a competition, but it will probably feel like it if you're not fully rehydrated before you get in the ring.

oztots

Thats why alot of green teas are used. They dehydrate more than the water content of the teas.

Clive

That would want to be a fierce strong cup of tea to have a dehydrating effect! :eek:

I've never heard of any athlete using any sort of tea to try and cut weight.

mmaireland.com

Clive wrote: »

I've never heard of any athlete using any sort of tea to try and cut weight.

There's Victoria Beckham. She won the egg and spoon race on school sports day once.

oztots

Maybe not alot of people then. Teas dehydrate you and arent as damaging as beer. Of course a sauna is another way to do it!

A few powerlifters i know swear by it. Could be completely wrong.
I'll go hide now.

rondog

i get it,i just assumed(was told) that it was muscle breakdown that occured in a sauna if there were no calories/water in the body.

Thats all I needed to know that that couple of pounds lost is just fluids from the body!!