What is the term for loss of muscle mass due to stress?

The term for the loss of muscle mass due to stress is muscle wasting. This condition is often a result of prolonged exposure to stressors, which can lead to a negative energy balance in the body. When an animal experiences chronic stress, the body’s resources may be redirected from maintenance processes, such as muscle repair and growth, to immediate survival needs. This can result in the breakdown of muscle tissue for energy, contributing to overall muscle wasting.

Muscle wasting specifically refers to the reduction in muscle mass, which can be exacerbated by stress-induced reactions in the body that alter metabolic processes. Chronic stress itself may influence muscle health and overall well-being by impacting factors like appetite and activity level, but it does not specifically denote the muscle loss that occurs. Conversely, immunosuppression refers to the body's weakened immune response, which, while it can be associated with chronic stress, does not directly address muscle mass loss. Therefore, muscle wasting is the most accurate and precise term to describe the phenomenon.