Jun
25
Bigman asked:
I’m a 14 year old boy and I’m currently on a tough exercise routine. I don’t exercise to lose weight, in fact I am very skinny and borderline underweight for my height, but to build muscle. I don’t eat much (hence my skininess), and I’m worried that by exercising and not eating a lot I’ll lose muscle instead of gaining it. I was told this by my teacher who is a fitness instructor, she said that if I don’t have enough Calories in my body to let me do all this exercising, and don’t have fat to burn either, I’ll start burning muscle.
I’m a 14 year old boy and I’m currently on a tough exercise routine. I don’t exercise to lose weight, in fact I am very skinny and borderline underweight for my height, but to build muscle. I don’t eat much (hence my skininess), and I’m worried that by exercising and not eating a lot I’ll lose muscle instead of gaining it. I was told this by my teacher who is a fitness instructor, she said that if I don’t have enough Calories in my body to let me do all this exercising, and don’t have fat to burn either, I’ll start burning muscle.
I do about 130 push ups, 330 sit ups and 2 km running each day. What do you think, is it true?
Also will eating HELP me build muscle?
Thanks in advance.
Ron
Comments
10 Responses to “Am I in danger of losing muscle instead of building it?”
Leave a Reply
Larry
you have to eat to build muscle
Rose
Increasing your protein intake is necessary to build muscle, and you need to also take in Carbohydrates. If you don’t have any carbs to burn your body converts muscle to glucuse for energy. So you need carbs and them protein to build muscle.
Lydia
dang dude! lol. I can’t even do 5 pushups. anyways eat more but still do exercising that way your body can eat off the food instead of muscle and tissue. No food, no energy. The teacher is right
Alvin
Yes, eating will help you build muscle. Where do you think muscle comes from?! You’ve got to get the right nutrients in to make your body do what you want it to.
To build muscle, you should have a balanced diet of protein and carbohydrates. The carbohydrates will burn off with your daily running, and will inhibit burning muscle. Protein, obviously, will help you build muscle because muscle is primarily protein! Also, don’t forget plenty of fruits and veggies for their vitamins and minerals and drink LOTS of water!
Joyce
yes!! omg! well im a girl and i work out as well, not as much as you though. but if you wanna build your body (muscle-wise) you have to eat! protein will help you alot so anything thats high in protein, like chicken. trust me this will help you build muscle faster and eating healthier will too=] hope this helps.
Kristin
You are going to start cutting into your muscle reserves if you don’t start eating. Right now you have no fat to burn so your body is going to start burning muscle and you will not achieve what you are looking for. Make sure you are eating plenty of protein. Protein builds muscle. Eat lean meats, tuna, veggies. Your body needs protein to survive, so if it does not get it from food, it will get it from muscle, which is why you still look very skinny despite the amount of reps you are doing. To gain weight you have to eat more calories than you burn. To lose you have to burn more calories than you eat. Right now, you are burning more calories than you are taking in, so you will not build any muscle and will continue to look lanky. Start eating more proteins, drink protein shakes. You will start to gain weight but it is ok, because with what you are doing, it will fill out your muscles nicely.
Milton
Eating the right foods will definitely promote muscle growth. And yes, you need to eat way more or you’re gonna stay skinny and start losing muscle.
It’s not hard to do though. Make sure you get lots of protein in your diet, eat plenty of lean red meat, chicken, fish, etc. Burgers (real ones, not McDonalds) are your friend. Eggs are awesome too and so are peanuts. GNC makes some pretty good protein shakes that will help you along. Concentrate most of your diet on protein, and make sure to add in fruits, vegetables and starchy foods, like rice, potatos, bread, pasta and corn. Keep working out. Even if you’re not hungry, eat regular meals and be sure to have at least 2500 calories a day. If you haven’t gained any weight in a month, bump up your calories.
Clyde
Yes, eating will definitely help you build muscle. Good for you on your current exercise routine, but you’re essentially starving yourself if you’re not fueling your body. When someone is starving, they lose weight: both fat and muscle. Try consuming more protein-rich foods, like chicken, tuna, etc. Especially if you are underweight, you should consider supplementing your diet with protein shakes – you can make them very tasty by adding fruit (frozen or fresh).
Esther
As long as you have the strength to do weight exercises then you are eating enough.
if you feel that you can’t lift as much, you aren’t eating enough.
if you get full quickly, try smaller foods with higher calories and higher proteins.
protein bars and nuts are packed with protein and calories.
Elsie
Besides your workout routine, you gots to eat, eat and then eat some more.
your instructor is right, if you don’t eat enough calories and you don’t have much energy to spare, the body will end up breaking down muscle tissue for energy and then that is not good.
You gots to eat more.