Even when you’re eating less to lose fat, your body can still build muscle if you lift weights and have enough fat stored.
Scientific Claim
In individuals with elevated body fat stores, resistance training during a caloric deficit can sustain muscle hypertrophy while promoting net fat loss.
Original Statement
“When Dayton first started working with me on a fat loss diet, he was still able to build muscle, not as fast as during his bulk, but at a pretty solid rate of about 0.7 lbs of muscle per month. And instead of gaining fat, he was losing about 5 lbs of pure fat each month.”
Context Details
Domain
nutrition
Population
human
Subject
resistance training during caloric deficit in adipose individuals
Action
sustains
Target
muscle hypertrophy while promoting net fat loss
Intervention Details
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (2)
Independent and Combined Effects of Resistance Training and Whey Protein on Skeletal Muscle Mass and Function in Individuals with MASLD Under Caloric Restriction
Even when people ate less food, those who did strength training kept their muscle while losing fat — which is exactly what the claim says. Protein helped them get stronger, but just lifting weights was enough to protect their muscles.
This study says that if you're overweight and trying to lose weight, lifting weights helps you keep your muscles while losing fat — which is exactly what the claim says.