When training decreases, unchanged food intake can leave excess calories that contribute to body-fat gain, so energy intake may need adjustment while protein and everyday activity are maintained. In an experiment involving 70 adults, 16 weeks of resistance training was followed by 32 weeks of reduced training. Younger adults maintained muscle hypertrophy with one-third or one-ninth of the previous training dose, but older participants did not show the same result. This does not establish a minimal dose that preserves muscle at every age. Rather than fearing a short break, the practical aim is to maintain activity appropriate to age and injury status.