Strategies to Limit Muscle Loss During Weight Loss
Guest writer: Rob van Berkel, Research dietitian and writer on nutrition and health
Strategies to Limit Muscle Loss During Weight Loss
During weight loss, the primary focus is often on reducing fat mass, but preserving muscle mass is at least as important. Muscle loss can not only reduce strength and performance but also slow metabolism and increase the risk of future weight regain. Fortunately, there are evidence-based strategies that help preserve muscle mass as much as possible during weight loss.
What is required for weight loss?
When an individual has excess body fat, there has been a prolonged positive energy balance. In other words, energy intake has consistently exceeded energy expenditure. This excess energy (calories) is then stored as body fat. The emphasis here is on prolonged, as occasional overeating—for example during a single weekend—will rarely result in meaningful weight gain. Weight loss requires the opposite: a sustained negative energy balance, forcing the body to utilize stored fat as a source of energy.
Weight loss often includes muscle loss
Unfortunately, weight loss during a negative energy balance typically does not consist exclusively of fat mass. On average, approximately 75% of weight loss consists of fat mass and 25% of fat-free mass, although this can vary considerably between individuals and depends on the weight loss strategy employed (Heymsfield et al., 2014). It is even possible to build muscle mass during a negative energy balance under certain conditions (Longland et al., 2016; Barakat et al., 2020).
Fat-free mass consists of muscle (skeletal muscle, cardiac muscle, and smooth muscle), bone, organs, and water. The largest component of fat-free mass (approximately 45–50%) is muscle mass (Oliver et al., 2025). Greater muscle mass contributes to a higher resting metabolic rate, increased strength, improved physical performance, better glucose homeostasis, a more toned physical appearance, and a reduced risk of future weight regain (Leibel et al., 1995; Vink et al., 2016; Cava et al., 2017; Barber et al., 2025). Therefore, preserving muscle mass during weight loss is highly desirable.
How can muscle loss be limited during weight loss?
To limit (or prevent) muscle loss during a negative energy balance, it is essential to avoid excessive deprivation, provide sufficient building blocks, and apply adequate physical stimuli. This helps reduce muscle breakdown while promoting muscle maintenance or growth. The three most important strategies are:
Limit the energy deficit
Although exceptions exist (Seimon et al., 2019), a larger energy deficit is generally associated with proportionally greater loss of fat-free mass (Chaston et al., 2007; et al., 2025). For this reason, an energy deficit of approximately 10–20% of total energy requirements is typically recommended. On an individual basis, adjustments may be appropriate depending on specific circumstances.
Ensure adequate protein intake
The most effective way to achieve a sustained negative energy balance is to reduce energy intake. However, protein requirements appear to be higher during weight loss when the goal is to preserve muscle mass (Cava et al., 2017; McCarthy et al., 2021; Kokura et al., 2024). Protein not only provides the structural building blocks for muscle tissue but also promotes satiety and has a higher thermic effect, thereby supporting weight loss (Halton et al., 2004; Hansen et al., 2021).
Although the precise protein requirement during a negative energy balance is not fully established, an intake of approximately 1.3–1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight per day or higher is generally recommended (Hansen et al., 2021; Kokura et al., 2024). Suitable sources include dairy products (and alternatives), meat (and alternatives), fish, legumes, eggs, and nuts.
Perform resistance training
Adequate protein intake during a negative energy balance helps limit muscle breakdown, but progressive resistance training is essential for preserving—and potentially increasing—muscle mass and strength (Binmahfoz et al., 2025; Refalo et al., 2025). Exercises that activate multiple muscle groups simultaneously are particularly effective, such as:
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Squats
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Deadlifts
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Bench press
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Rowing exercises
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Pull-ups
Conclusion
To preserve muscle mass during weight loss, it is essential to:
a) avoid excessive energy restriction,
b) ensure adequate protein intake, and
c) engage in resistance training.
The combination of sufficient protein intake, a moderate energy deficit, and regular resistance training represents the most effective and evidence-based strategy for reducing fat mass while preserving muscle mass.
References
Barakat C, B, Pearson J,, Escalante G, Campbell B, De Souza EO. Body Recomposition: Can Trained Individuals Build Muscle and Lose Fat at the Same Time?. Strength and Conditioning Journal 42(5):p 7-21, October 2020.
Barber TM, Kabisch S, Pfeiffer AFH, Weickert MO. Optimised Skeletal Muscle Mass as a Key Strategy for Obesity Management. Metabolites. 2025;15(2):85. Published 2025 Feb 1.
Binmahfoz A, Dighriri A, Gray C, Gray SR. Effect of resistance exercise on body composition, muscle strength and cardiometabolic health during dietary weight loss in people living with overweight or obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med. 2025;11(3):e002363. Published 2025 Sep 2.
Chaston TB, Dixon JB, O'Brien PE. Changes in fat-free mass during significant weight loss: a systematic review. Int J Obes (Lond). 2007;31(5):743-750.
Cava E, Yeat NC, Mittendorfer B. Preserving Healthy Muscle during Weight Loss. Adv Nutr. 2017;8(3):511-519. Published 2017 May 15.
Halton TL, Hu FB. The effects of high protein diets on thermogenesis, satiety and weight loss: a critical review. J Am Coll Nutr. 2004;23(5):373-385.
Hansen TT, Astrup A, Sjödin A. Are Dietary Proteins the Key to Successful Body Weight Management? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Studies Assessing Body Weight Outcomes after Interventions with Increased Dietary Protein. Nutrients. 2021;13(9):3193. Published 2021 Sep 14.
Heymsfield SB, Gonzalez MC, Shen W, Redman L, Thomas D. Weight loss composition is one-fourth fat-free mass: a critical review and critique of this widely cited rule. Obes Rev. 2014 Apr;15(4):310-21.
Kokura Y, Ueshima J, Saino Y, Maeda K. Enhanced protein intake on maintaining muscle mass, strength, and physical function in adults with overweight/obesity: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clin Nutr ESPEN. 2024;63:417-426.
Leibel RL, Rosenbaum M, Hirsch J. Changes in energy expenditure resulting from altered body weight. N Engl J Med. 1995;332(10):621-628.
Longland TM, Oikawa SY, Mitchell CJ, Devries MC, Phillips SM. Higher compared with lower dietary protein during an energy deficit combined with intense exercise promotes greater lean mass gain and fat mass loss: a randomized trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2016;103(3):738-46
McCarthy D, Berg A. Weight Loss Strategies and the Risk of Skeletal Muscle Mass Loss. Nutrients. 2021;13(7):2473. Published 2021 Jul 20.
Oliver CJ, Climstein M, Rosic N, Bosy-Westphal A, Tinsley G, Myers S. Fat-Free Mass: Friend or Foe to Metabolic Health? J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle. 2025 Feb;16(1):e13714.
Refalo, Martin C.1; Trexler, Eric T.2; Helms, Eric R.3,4. Effect of Dietary Protein on Fat-Free Mass in Energy Restricted, Resistance-Trained Individuals: An Updated Systematic Review With Meta-Regression. Strength and Conditioning Journal ():10.1519/SSC.0000000000000888, January 22, 2025.
Seimon RV, Wild-Taylor AL, Keating SE, et al. Effect of Weight Loss via Severe vs Moderate Energy Restriction on Lean Mass and Body Composition Among Postmenopausal Women With Obesity: The TEMPO Diet Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2019;2(10):e1913733. Published 2019 Oct 2.
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