Does Lexapro affect muscle growth? (5 tips)

This article will explore the impact of Lexapro on muscle growth. It will discuss its direct and indirect effects on the muscle-building process.

Additionally, this article will explore the available research on the topic. It will also mention the various factors that can influence Lexapro’s effect on muscle growth. Finally, the article will discuss strategies to optimize muscle growth while taking Lexapro.

Does Lexapro affect muscle growth?

No, Lexapro does not directly affect muscle growth. Lexapro is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) that increases the availability of serotonin in the brain to enhance mood and treat anxiety and depression [1].

Muscle growth, on the other hand, is primarily influenced by factors such as exercise, nutrition, hormone levels (such as testosterone and growth hormone), and genetics. There is no significant direct relationship between serotonin levels and muscle growth.

How can Lexapro possibly affect muscle growth?

While Lexapro may not directly affect muscle growth, it can indirectly impact factors that are important for building muscles. To illustrate, exercise, especially resistance training (weightlifting), causes microscopic damage to your muscle fibers.

Depending on the intensity and frequency of your workouts, and the degree of microscopic damage they cause to your muscles, your body repairs and rebuilds the muscle fibers, leading to muscle growth over time. For your body to repair and build muscles, it uses proteins from your diet as building blocks [2].

Lexapro may affect muscle growth by influencing your exercise routine. It may lead to decreased consistency and frequency of training due to decreased motivation and energy levels.

Moreover, Lexapro-induced tiredness may reduce your performance in your workout. Lexapro can also cause insomnia and affect the quality of sleep, consequently decreasing the body’s ability to repair and build muscles [1].

Furthermore, if Lexapro affects your appetite in a way that makes you eat insufficient amounts of protein, your muscle growth will be negatively affected [1].

These indirect effects could potentially impact an individual’s ability to engage in regular effective exercise and maintain a healthy high-protein diet, which is important for muscle growth.

What does research suggest?

The available research on the effect of Lexapro, or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in general, on human muscle growth is currently limited. There is no clear evidence regarding the definitive impact of Lexapro on muscle growth.

One in vitro study found that serotonin may potentially play a role in muscle growth by inhibiting myostatin, which is a protein that decreases muscle mass. In contrast, another investigation suggested that long-term treatment of animals with SSRIs, such as fluoxetine, negatively affected the structural properties of skeletal muscles and decreased the weight of muscles in animals without functional comorbidities [3,4]

The available studies provide inconsistent findings regarding the effect of Lexapro on muscle growth. Therefore, further clinical research is needed in this area.

What factors influence Lexapro’s effect on muscle growth?

Several factors can potentially affect the process of building muscles while taking Lexapro:

• Higher doses or longer treatment periods might cause more side effects like dizziness, drowsiness, insomnia, daytime sleepiness, fatigue, and loss of appetite. These side effects can indirectly slow down muscle growth.

• Jumping to a high dose without proper escalation can also intensify these side effects.

• Certain conditions like diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), hormonal imbalances, bulimia nervosa, and chronic kidney disease can interfere with protein metabolism and nutrient absorption, which affects muscle synthesis and recovery.

• Medications like corticosteroids, antipsychotics, and certain immunosuppressants can interfere with muscle protein synthesis or increase muscle breakdown, leading to reduced muscle mass.

• Each person’s genetic makeup and physiological response to Lexapro can influence muscle growth while taking it.

• Factors such as age, sex, overall fitness level, and hormone levels can impact muscle growth.

• A sedentary lifestyle, inadequate nutrition, or a low-protein diet can affect muscle growth.

• High stress levels can lead to increased cortisol production, which can negatively impact muscle growth. 

• Lack of sufficient sleep can impair muscle recovery and the body’s ability to build muscle.

How to optimize muscle growth while taking Lexapro?

If you’re trying to build more muscle mass while taking Lexapro, here are helpful tips:

Apply dose escalation and don’t jump to high doses to prevent side effects like sedation, drowsiness, fatigue, and insomnia.

It is also preferable to take Lexapro after your workout or before sleep to avoid its potential sedating effects from negatively impacting your workout. If you experience Lexapro-induced sleepiness, drinking coffee before training can help you focus and have a good workout.

Moreover, make sure to eat sufficient amounts of protein. You should eat approximately 1 gram of protein per pound of your body weight every day to build muscle [5].

Hire a personal trainer and consult with a nutritionist, they can design a workout routine and a nutrition plan that can help you build muscle while taking Lexapro.

Furthermore, aim for 8 hours of sleep every night and eat enough calories. Your body needs sleep and energy to effectively recover and build and repair muscles.

In conclusion, based on my research, I concluded that Lexapro does not directly affect muscle growth. However, I believe that it can influence certain factors that impact the process of muscle development.

Based on my knowledge, Lexapro can cause decreased motivation and energy levels, fatigue, insomnia, and potential changes in appetite, which can affect muscle growth. Additionally, underlying conditions, other medications, genetic makeup, nutrition, and exercise also influence muscle growth while taking Lexapro.

In my perspective, It may be helpful to talk with a personal trainer and nutritionist, to optimize muscle growth while on Lexapro. It is also important to ensure appropriate dose management of Lexapro to minimize side effects.

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