Maintaining muscle despite a break from training due to vacation, injury or illness

Summary of this blog

This blog explores you the challenges of preserving muscle during training breaks, whether caused by vacation, injuries, or illnesses. It emphasizes that the body can maintain built-up muscle during the initial eight to ten days of a break but may experience muscle breakdown afterward. Vacation, seen as a deliberate break from routine, is described as a situation where regular strength training is set aside.

The text explains that the body expends a significant amount of energy to sustain muscle, a process activated only when muscles are actively used, such as during training. The blog suggests two approaches to ensure muscle maintenance during a training pause: utilizing local gyms or hotel facilities and engaging in bodyweight exercises (Callisthenics).

Emphasizing the importance of proper nutrition, particularly protein intake, the blog provides recommendations for the amount of protein needed for muscle development. The use of supplements is presented as a helpful option to guarantee sufficient nutrient intake during vacation or illness.

The blog points out that alcohol can adversely affect muscle maintenance and recommends abstaining from it during vacations. During illness, training is strongly discouraged, as the body requires energy for recovery. Slow walks and moderate exercise are deemed suitable during the recovery phase.

In conclusion, the blog asserts that muscle maintenance is feasible even without active training, especially in the initial eight to ten days. Subsequently, it recommends introducing stimuli for muscle maintenance through light training or a prepared workout plan. Thorough preparation, including bringing supplements when traveling, is deemed advisable, and refraining from training during illness is encouraged to allow the body ample time for recovery

End of summary

Regardless of the anticipation for strength training and personal discipline, there are situations that necessitate a pause in training. In the case of an infection, during the recovery from an extended illness, after an accident, or following surgery, strength training should be avoided. Even less serious circumstances, such as a vacation, can lead to a temporary interruption in training. But what happens when training is suspended for a certain period? No pain, no gain – without training, new muscle development naturally does not occur. However, how long does muscle retention last without training, and what measures can be taken to preserve it during a vacation, injury, or illness?

Maintaining muscle without training

The purpose of a vacation is to escape everyday life, recover, break familiar routines, and discover new things. Daily routines are intentionally interrupted for one to two weeks, regardless of where or how the vacation is spent. Some people use sports to reduce stress and relax during their leisure time, while others prefer a quieter, less active life with plenty of sunshine. Still, others want to engage their minds during an educational vacation. The local gym is not available in any case, and regular strength training is omitted.

However, this does not necessarily mean that the painstakingly built-up muscle disappears immediately. The body initially retains everything that has been built. However, only for a limited period – if the muscles are not used, the breakdown eventually sets in. The timing depends on the existing muscle mass. The more muscle mass is already present, the longer it takes for the loss to occur. It is generally believed that this happens after about eight to ten days.

Why does this happen? To maintain existing muscle mass, the body must expend significant energy. The individual cells are constantly supplied with nutrients and energy and are also renewed continuously. This effort is only made when necessary, for example, through training.

Maintain muscle on vacation with little training

Maintaining muscle during the initial eight to ten days of vacation initially poses no challenges. Only after this period is it advisable to consider a potential break in training or alternative exercise options. In this regard, two options present themselves:

1. Utilization of a local fitness studio or the hotel's gym.
2. Implementation of bodyweight exercises (Callisthenics).

The use of a gym during vacation naturally depends on various factors. The diversity of possibilities for muscle building in strength training is extensive, and there is no general consensus on which approach is the best. Each strength athlete has their own preferences regarding exercises, training duration, equipment, weights, and, above all, the frequency of training sessions. Nevertheless, during vacation, it makes sense to consider the available training options in the hotel or the surrounding area. Even if one is not vacationing in the wilderness, most vacation spots will likely have training facilities. There might even be the possibility to use short-term memberships for one or two weeks, although these are not typically intended for vacationers.

For members of international gym chains, concerns about training opportunities during vacation are reduced. The concept of these chains allows members to use their membership internationally.

Another option for maintaining muscle during vacation is the practice of bodyweight exercises (Callisthenics). Strength training has been practiced for centuries, long before fitness studios, sophisticated strength machines, or modern knowledge in anatomy and sports medicine were available. In the past, people essentially did the same as Turnvater Jahn: push-ups, squats, and pull-ups formed the basis of strength training without equipment. Bodyweight exercises are an excellent way to maintain muscle during vacation without specific equipment and fixed training sessions. These exercises can be performed anywhere and anytime, whether in a hotel room, on a mountain meadow, at the beach, or in a city park. Many places even have designated Callisthenics parks.

The principle is simple: To maintain muscle, perform some exercises intermittently. Once it becomes challenging, the body is sufficiently stimulated to ensure muscle maintenance. This can be distributed throughout the day, and one can enjoy pull-ups!

For those who want to go further, a structured training plan is required. What such a plan for bodyweight exercises might look like is diverse. While in physiotherapy after surgical procedures, daily morning and evening training sessions for muscle building are recommended, there are also approaches that do not provide specific recommendations, except to train daily. Initially, one can start with a few repetitions, performed in two to five sets, and then increase gradually. Whether the progress in muscle building during the one- to two-week vacation with bodyweight exercises is as significant as regular training in the gym must be individually experimented with.

Preparing for your vacation trip makes sense

Thorough preparation is indispensable for those aiming to maintain their musculature through bodyweight exercises or even achieve (slow) progress during vacation. A well-thought-out training plan is essential for this endeavor. For those who don't want to forego the gym during their vacation, advance planning is crucial: the choice of the vacation destination and hotel is decisive. However, nutrition should also not be overlooked during the vacation.

The right nutrition during your training break

Muscle cells are composed of proteins. The body constantly renews cells, repairs, modifies, and creates new nerve connections. These building blocks are supplied to the body through nutrition, including proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and minerals. During intensive muscle building, such as during training, the body requires more of these nutrients compared to periods without training. Nevertheless, for muscle maintenance, an adequate amount of nutrients is still necessary, especially for highly muscular individuals who require more than the average menu in a hotel restaurant provides.

Dietary Supplements as Assistance
Supplements offer an effective way to supplement the diet. They ensure that, even in foreign countries or with unfamiliar foods, all necessary nutrients are present in sufficient quantities. Each strength athlete has individual preferences, and the supplement commonly used may not be available at the holiday destination. Therefore, it should be on the packing list, and in sufficient quantity, as buying more at the holiday destination is likely not possible.

Protein Requirements During Vacation
But how can the exact protein requirement be determined? In muscle building, a common guideline is two grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. For a powerhouse weighing 95 kilograms, this amounts to 190 grams of pure protein – an average beef steak contains 25 grams of protein per 100 grams. This means that the mentioned powerhouse would need to consume almost 800 grams of beef steak daily during muscle building. For a Top Blade Steak, it would be slightly less, as it contains 28 grams of protein per 100 grams.

Additional Information
For muscle maintenance, some suggest the rule of 1.5 grams per kilogram of body weight, while others claim it should be even two grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. Regardless of the specific rule, achieving this without supplements alongside a regular diet is nearly impossible.

Alcohol Consumption Harms Muscle Maintenance
While many people associate holidays with culinary delights, strength athletes should exercise restraint. Alcohol, nicotine, and other intoxicating substances should be avoided completely. No matter how tempting the authentic Japanese award-winning whiskey may be – please refrain! Otherwise, maintaining muscle during the holiday may become challenging.

Note
Even during a diet, it is advisable to largely avoid alcohol: Losing weight despite alcohol is possible? You don't have to completely abstain!

Maintaining muscle despite illness?

Whether during illness or while traveling: individuals who are unwell should refrain from any form of exercise. When harmful pathogens attack the body, recovery demands all available strength. It is necessary to identify and neutralize the "intruders" while simultaneously sustaining normal bodily functions – a demanding process that requires considerable strength and energy. Muscle building is not an option during this phase. A balanced diet containing all essential nutrients, not exclusively focused on muscle building, aids the body during illness.

It is also important to note that after overcoming an illness, the body requires several days to recover and return to "normal operation." During this recovery period, it is too early to contemplate exercise or muscle maintenance. Instead, leisurely walks, gentle outdoor activities, or perhaps a short, slow bicycle ride should suffice.

Exercising during illness is even hazardous: the physical strain overwhelms the cardiovascular system and may lead to permanent damage. Simultaneously, the body is deprived of the necessary energy to combat the illness. This hinders a proper recovery from conditions such as colds, gastrointestinal infections, and other illnesses. The same applies to typical vacation-related illnesses that often befall individuals during their travels.

Interestingly, many people tend to fall ill during vacations: the body can relax, is fatigued, and temporarily lowers the immune system. Added stress factors include travel preparations, jet lag, different climates, unfamiliar foods, and more. Travelers, especially in tropical countries, often contend with hygienically problematic foods. In such cases, the consideration of muscle maintenance must simply take a backseat – whether until the end of the vacation, the restoration of health, or both.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it can be said that muscle maintenance is possible even without exercise, at least to some extent. No special measures are necessary in the first eight to ten days. Only afterward does the body require stimuli to preserve muscle mass. Light exercise or a carefully devised training plan can aid during vacation. Adequate preparation is advisable in any case, including the inclusion of supplements for travel. When planning a vacation, the availability of exercise facilities on-site should also be considered. In the event of illness, however, it is advisable to forego training and provide the body with ample time for recovery.