How does HRT affect muscle mass for a slender MTF?

[SarahM777]

How does it affect the muscle mass in a slender,say 5' 11" male that only weighed 115 lbs (Fully clothed,dripping wet) at graduation and never bulked up at all? (Currently 5' 10"  135 lbs fully clothed dripping wet)?

[Cindy]

It varies heaps as do most hormonal effects. One size fits no one. I'm 5' 10" and about 120lbs? I exercise in the gym regularly and I'm fit. I don't muscle build but I do work them. My upper body strength has dropped about 1/3 over 24+ months (HRT) on what I can lift and use on regular bicep curls or on  straight lifts. I have stopped most of them and concentrate on core strength. I used to have no problems lifting  20kg weights off and on machines, but they get too much now after a few. I get guys to lift them for me. The signs in the gym saying, TAKE YOUR WEIGHTS OFF THE MACHINE WHEN YOU FINISH has meaning to me.

Legs are just as good. Tummy is good.  Pecs are no way as strong, even if they are considerably larger .

[SarahM777]

Thanks Cindy,

My weight is about 61 kilos. I was strong for my size. (At one of my jobs of I was required to be able to lift 45 kilos,100 lbs) So even losing half of the strength would not be to bad.

I don't go to the gym but I prefer the WII fit. I have to replace it,it's not working right now.  Mostly toning and endurance. (I look goofy trying to exercise so I would rather look silly at home,I don't have much in the way of coordination) 

[yasuko14]

Id say after about a year or so you will be 1/4 as strong as you were pre-HRT.
You will probally want to gain some weight, to get fat in the right places like hips and breasts.

I was about 100lbs pre-HRT and at 5'6 I was a twig. Now I'm about 120-125lbs
*my measurements are 34-26-34.

Basically everything will smooth out and get soft like pudding haha in a good way. You will notice a difference in small things like bringing the groceries into the house, or picking up your pet

[mm]

yasuko14,  You have developed a nice figure with hrt's. At what age did you start hormones and how long you been on them.  I expect you started young.

[Brooke777]

From the little I know about muscle mass, the less you have, the less you will lose. If you are slender before HRT, I would not expect to notice much of a difference. For me, most of the muscle I lost happened before HRT. I have only lost about 1 to 1 1/2 inches in my arms. I had lost 3 inches in each arm during a few months prior to HRT. I figure, the reason I have lost so little on HRT is because I have a lot less to lose. Hope this makes sense.

[Tyler]

Well I can say when I finally got E I was at 150 and wore a M/L top. After two months I wore a XS/S at 145... And I am small boned so that can tell you something

[yasuko14]

yasuko14,  You have developed a nice figure with hrt's. At what age did you start hormones and how long you been on them.  I expect you started young.

I started spiro at about 10 and then estrogen at 13.

*I'm making sure to say both because I got alot of heat saying 10 once and 13 on different occasions.
  Whatever you consider HRT 10 or 13 I suppose.
 

Iv'e been on the patch (climara) the entire time since 13. I love that thing to pieces, as I'm deathly afraid of needles X.X
Also in regards to developing, I didn't really fill out until after I graduated high-school.. Something in my body changed alot around 19-20 and my breasts got huuuuge very randomly.

[SarahM777]

From the little I know about muscle mass, the less you have, the less you will lose. If you are slender before HRT, I would not expect to notice much of a difference. For me, most of the muscle I lost happened before HRT. I have only lost about 1 to 1 1/2 inches in my arms. I had lost 3 inches in each arm during a few months prior to HRT. I figure, the reason I have lost so little on HRT is because I have a lot less to lose. Hope this makes sense.

That does make sense. Thanks

[peky]

How does it affect the muscle mass in a slender,say 5' 11" male that only weighed 115 lbs (Fully clothed,dripping wet) at graduation and never bulked up at all? (Currently 5' 10"  135 lbs fully clothed dripping wet)?

5 10 @ 135 lbs is not slender, it is an skeletor, there is no muscle mass to speak off. Being so thin would work against and negate the effects of estrogen. I would suggest your friend gains at least 20 lbs.

[yasuko14]

5 10 @ 135 lbs is not slender, it is an skeletor, there is no muscle mass to speak off. Being so thin would work against and negate the effects of estrogen. I would suggest your friend gains at least 20 lbs.

^ THIS

I agree I always tell VERY thin girls starting HRT, you gotta eat or you wont feminize well and or quickly.. Give your body some fat to work with for your hips and BOOOOOOBS~

[SarahM777]

5 10 @ 135 lbs is not slender, it is an skeletor, there is no muscle mass to speak off. Being so thin would work against and negate the effects of estrogen. I would suggest your friend gains at least 20 lbs.

It's me Peky. I just can not gain weight. Even when I was eating 3,500 calories a day I couldn't gain weight. Eating is not the problem.

[Kelly J. P.]

It's me Peky. I just can not gain weight. Even when I was eating 3,500 calories a day I couldn't gain weight. Eating is not the problem.

My situation, too.

My muscle mass wasn't too affected, but I am noticeably weaker...

[luna nyan]

Low dose for 7 months here.
Some slight drop in muscle mass, burst strength in upper body is slightly lower, but endurance in upper body has gone waaay down.

[harmonic_dissonance]

Your muscle mass will lessen over time as you're on HRT.  You'll gain weight and that fat will redistribute to female areas like thighs and booty.  Starting off slim is -really- good because the hormones make you gain weight and in all the right places!  I was also 115 when I started.

Do remember that even though it lessens and becomes harder to gain muscle, you still can gain (not that you'd want to but just saying!)  I was bodybuilding while on HRT in boymode for a while and still got impressively masculine results!  Keep in mind that takes a lot of work to do this and proper nutrition / portion control / protein intake.  Random tidbit.

[SarahM777]

Your muscle mass will lessen over time as you're on HRT.  You'll gain weight and that fat will redistribute to female areas like thighs and booty.  Starting off slim is -really- good because the hormones make you gain weight and in all the right places!  I was also 115 when I started.

Do remember that even though it lessens and becomes harder to gain muscle, you still can gain (not that you'd want to but just saying!)  I was bodybuilding while on HRT in boymode for a while and still got impressively masculine results!  Keep in mind that takes a lot of work to do this and proper nutrition / portion control / protein intake.  Random tidbit.

I am more concerned about losing too much of what little there is. I just do NOT want to end up looking like my one sister. (She is 5' 8" and 105 lbs and makes me look a lot heavier) The strength itself is not so much a problem. I am suppose to be on a 25 lb (about 11 kilos) weight restriction so.... if it only goes down that far I will be fine. Below that it maybe a problem. There is nothing wrong with asking for help with the heavier stuff. 

[harmonic_dissonance]

You should look fine!  You won't lose all your muscle, it'll lessen and become weaker, but it's doubtful you'll become a beanpole!  Or I can just come lift heavy stuff for you with my Michelle Obama arms, RAAaAAAAaaaaAAA!

[Lady_Oracle]

Well I'm 5'10 and I weigh about 125lbs. I'm 7 and a half months into hrt. I eat like crazy lots of protein! I used to body build for few years between the ages of 17 to 20(started hrt at 21). Put on a good amount of muscle mass. Happy to say most of it is gone, just my broad shoulders remain. I know eventually they'll be even more slender in the next year or so, can't wait! Breasts are developing nicely I think I measure at a 32b, full A small B.

My current measurements are at 34-27-37

If it hadn't been for the body building, I would have had a very feminine physique already prehrt. I always had wide female hips to begin with and my pecs didn't develop like most boys would either. Don't know if I'm intersexed or not but the fact that my body has responded to hrt so well leads me to think I might just be. Plus all the other clues but who knows. Not to mention my hip bones have actually widened in recent months.

[Lady_Oracle]

5 10 @ 135 lbs is not slender, it is an skeletor, there is no muscle mass to speak off. Being so thin would work against and negate the effects of estrogen. I would suggest your friend gains at least 20 lbs.

That's not true I was at 135, 5'11/5'10 benching 180-190lbs (max) and I had muscle mass. Nothing but muscle tho lol You can't judge physiques solely by numbers, too many factors to take into consideration. I looked very lanky but not anorexic. 

[muffinpants]

5 10 @ 135 lbs is not slender, it is an skeletor, there is no muscle mass to speak off. Being so thin would work against and negate the effects of estrogen. I would suggest your friend gains at least 20 lbs.

Is this seriously true? Because my significant other is 5'7 and 125lbs - very thin with little muscle or fat! But we both thought that would be a good thing for starting hrt.. after starting she was going to try and start eating a lot more so she could gain, cus I like a chubby gal But it sounds like she is like op and can't gain weight atm.. please someone tell me this won't be a negative thing when starting hrt