Research
Macro partitioning
Spirulina supplementation does NOT significantly preserve skeletal muscle mass (SMM) during gradual weight loss compared to placebo; both groups lost similar amounts of muscle mass.
Do not rely on spirulina to preserve your muscle mass during a weight cut. This study showed that wrestlers taking spirulina lost the same amount of muscle as those taking a placebo. To preserve muscle, you must ensure your overall protein intake is high (1.6-3.1 g/kg/day) in addition to following your gradual weight loss diet.
GoodRefutesHIGH confidence
no significant between-group differences were noted (P = 0·673) when we compared changes from pre-test to post-test [SMM]... Interestingly, it was observed that the reduction in BFP and FM was greater after SP.
Why this rating
RCT design, clear statistical result showing no difference in SMM between groups.
Source
Spirulina supplementation during gradual weight loss in competitive wrestlers
Reza Bagheri et al. · British Journal Of Nutrition · 2021
DOI 10.1017/s000711452100091x
rct · n=40Cited 14×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Spirulina supplementation (3000 mg/day) during a 12-day gradual weight loss protocol significantly enhances fat mass loss and body fat percentage reduction compared to placebo in competitive wrestlers, while maintaining skeletal muscle mass and reducing catabolic myostatin levels.Good
- Spirulina supplementation during gradual weight loss significantly reduces serum myostatin (MST) and liver enzymes (AST, ALT) compared to placebo, suggesting a protective effect on the liver and a reduction in the catabolic environment.Good
Related findings · Macro partitioning
- Total daily protein intake of 1.6 g/kg/day is sufficient for maximizing resistance training-induced muscle gains, with an upper confidence interval of 2.2 g/kg/day.Strong
- Resistance exercise training combined with sufficient dietary protein intake acts synergistically to maximize skeletal muscle hypertrophy, with protein intake saturating around 1.6 g/kg/day for general populations and potentially requiring 2.0-2.2 g/kg/day for resistance-trained individuals.Strong
- Trans fats should be completely eliminated from the diet, as they increase LDL cholesterol, decrease HDL cholesterol, and are directly associated with increased coronary risk.Strong
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