theres no studies on such i think, but the less weight,the better, theres no question.
ruehl dont want to downsize,though,if he wanted,it would have happened long ago.
i dont get it he dont compete, yet still walks around with this size.
protein breakdown wouldnt be too bad i think, hed flush out 50lbs of water before any protein goes 
I look at it like this... much of the BBer's self-identity is that he's the biggest dude in every room he's entered since he was 17 years old. Dude are always kissing ass, Girls always feeling him up.
To lose that... I mean, how many of us would scale down from our svelte 200 pounds to 140 pounds tomorrow if the doc told us "You may live 5 years longer if you're 60 pounds lighter"?
We'd probably tell the doctor thanks, but no thanks. We'd lose our standing among those around us, get far fewer girls, and have everyone asking "What happnened, where did all your muscle go?"
Now and then you'll see NFL players that retire from O-line and drop 80 pounds and look great at 210 pounds. Smart and healthy. But for some of the BBers that have been perceived as superman for 25+ years to suddenly look scrawny with insanely big head and feet and hands (making muscles look even worse), I can see why they'd put it off.