When you lose weight, you may lose some muscle mass as well. However, your weight loss may not always be intentional, and the muscle wasting may be cause for concern, especially if all of this has occurred rapidly. Understand the root cause of your weight loss-related muscle wasting so that you can begin to seek out the appropriate treatments.
Aging
Aging commonly causes weight loss. Once you hit 30, every year after that you lose some muscle mass. The loss is so gradual that most hardly notice it until they are quite thin and frail. A poor diet and inactivity can also contribute to muscle wasting due to weight loss and aging. Another contributing factor to age-related weight loss is a loss of appetite.
Disease
Illness and disease could also cause the weight loss that results in muscle wasting, or atrophy. According to MedlinePlus, diseases that affect nerve cells could result in a thin appearance and lean, untoned muscles. Other neurological conditions that could be to blame include muscular dystrophy, Lou Gehrig's disease and stroke. Diseases that affect your overall health can also be to blame, and include diabetes, thyroid issues, polio and HIV/AIDS.
Eating Disorders
Dramatic weight loss that results in muscle wasting could also be due to eating disorders that cause you to be undernourished or malnourished. Anorexia is one such disorder that results from an extremely low-calorie diet. In order to keep going, your body feeds off of your stored fat, and when that's gone, it begins to use your muscle tissue. In some cases, your body uses muscle tissue as fuel and preserves your remaining fat. This is called catabolism.
Treatment
Muscle wasting due to weight loss is cause for concern, especially if it occurs suddenly. In these cases, see your doctor immediately for a proper diagnosis. If you have these symptoms and suffer from a degenerative disease, physical therapy can help, especially in the pool where impact is minimal. Braces, splints, dietary counseling and a consistent workout regimen may also encourage weight gain and the toning of muscles.
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