What would happen if you lose your muscles while swimming

Swimming usually does not cause muscle loss, but instead helps to enhance muscle endurance and shape lines. Swimming, as a systemic exercise, can mobilize the core muscle group and limb muscles to work together, and long-term regular training can make muscles tighter. But if there is insufficient nutritional supplementation or overtraining after exercise, there may be accelerated muscle breakdown metabolism. When swimming, the resistance of water is about 800 times that of air. Rowing requires sustained resistance from the latissimus dorsi, deltoids, triceps brachii, and other muscles. This isometric contraction can effectively stimulate muscle fiber growth. The exercise of the quadriceps and gluteus maximus muscles is particularly evident in breaststroke, while freestyle focuses on the shoulder and core muscle groups. Professional swimming trainers typically have lower body fat percentage but higher muscle density, such as Olympic athletes whose muscle cross-sectional area is generally larger than that of ordinary people. In rare cases, when swimming for more than 2 hours a day and protein intake is insufficient, the body may break down muscle protein for energy. After the depletion of carbohydrate reserves, an increase in cortisol levels promotes muscle breakdown, which may result in a decrease in circumference but no change in body fat percentage. Diabetes patients or long-term dieters need to pay more attention to monitoring muscle volume changes when swimming.

It is recommended to supplement foods containing high-quality protein and carbohydrates within 30 minutes after swimming, such as chicken breast with whole wheat bread, to help with muscle repair. 1-2 land-based resistance training sessions can be arranged per week as a supplement, and basic exercises such as squats and push ups can prevent muscle loss. Middle aged and elderly swimmers should undergo regular body composition testing to maintain muscle mass within a healthy range.