Does Cardio Eat Your Muscles?

[MichAeL_K!]

i been hearing this but i dont think sooo

[Zbad1ne]

If you do cardio for an extended period of time, lets say running @ 6.5 mph for 40 minutes, yes.

Ultimately you will lose muscle by doing cardio, but certain types of cardio will make the muscle loss minimal.

Like anything with sprinting, or anything high intensity. That type of cardio will wear you out faster, giving you a more intense workout in a short amount of time.

Someone brought up in another thread how if you've ever noticed, sprinters have a ton of muscle for runners. Long distance runners on the other hand are very lean, and don't have much muscle.

Just that alone gives creedence to the fact that sprinting and doing interval training will help you retain your muscle mass while burning fat.

I guess it all comes down to preference and opinion, but honestly HIIT has provided me with the best results.

[Chris]

If you do cardio for an extended period of time, lets say running @ 6.5 mph for 40 minutes, yes.

Ultimately you will lose muscle by doing cardio, but certain types of cardio will make the muscle loss minimal.

Like anything with sprinting, or anything high intensity. That type of cardio will wear you out faster, giving you a more intense workout in a short amount of time.

Someone brought up in another thread how if you've ever noticed, sprinters have a ton of muscle for runners. Long distance runners on the other hand are very lean, and don't have much muscle.

Just that alone gives creedence to the fact that sprinting and doing interval training will help you retain your muscle mass while burning fat.

I guess it all comes down to preference and opinion, but honestly HIIT has provided me with the best results.

yup.

sprint to loose weight don't run.

[StateOfTrance]

I always try to tell people who i know do cardio to loose fat that they should shorten their duration and run faster instead.

[MikeyDubl]

very true

also where you lose it isnt always where you gain it...you cant pin point cardio

[Suzie*Q]

Ya its called the "runners build."

[Chris]

Ya its called the "runners build."

ya this looks like death to me.....

or you can cross fit and look like this

http://www.sherdog.com/news/picture_...3500&my_page=6

[Chris]

GSP (tho he may have had some help)

[SFbibi]

honestly HIIT has provided me with the best results.

I'm usually drenched after i've done about 30mins

[toprockcantbstoppd]

Aerobic cardio exercise does eat away lean muscle mass. Yes. This consitutes activity lasting longer than about 1.5 min. Most cardio that people do is aerobic. Sprints and weightlifting are anaerobic. With anaerobic cardio you get all of the benefits of aerobic cardio, without the negatives. I'm not saying that if you practice 400m sprints all the time and then go do a 5 or 10k road race that you'll win. That's a different story. But you will increase VO2Max, increased power output, and gain lean muscle mass.

Good example - 400m sprinter v. 10k road runner (look at the differences in their physique and power output)

[SFbibi]

what about taking spin? does that eat away @ muscle as well?

[Suzie*Q]

what about taking spin? does that eat away @ muscle as well?

No... I dont think so. As long as your adding weight training to your routine. I do alot of cardio. Sometimes up to 1 hour 4x a week. And I have some good muscular definition.

[FDB]

you guys are forgetting DIET.. if your diet is on point while trying to loose BF and not muscle, this can be acheived. everytime i have cut down i do low intensity cardio only for 20-40 minutes at a high level lets say on the bike or treadmill at a steeper level BUT low intensity. that has worked great for me.. BUT it was always my diet that IMO the was more important.

plus sprinting, i wish my knees are shot from ice hockey.. sucks..

[Suzie*Q]

you guys are forgetting DIET.. if your diet is on point while trying to loose BF and not muscle, this can be acheived. everytime i have cut down i do low intensity cardio only for 20-40 minutes at a high level lets say on the bike or treadmill at a steeper level BUT low intensity. that has worked great for me.. BUT it was always my diet that IMO the was more important.

plus sprinting, i wish my knees are shot from ice hockey.. sucks..

I don't know but I think diet makes up for a very big part of it. I can be off my diet for weeks and train my ass off and I see absolutely no results. When I eat on point and train a little less harder, I see more results. Your diet has to be first and most important!

[DEEPER KEMICAL]

diet is 70%, weight training is 30%

[FDB]

O i forgot, also you need to know at what % protien for yourself will ensure as little muscle loss as possible that you need to consume.

[toprockcantbstoppd]

what about taking spin? does that eat away @ muscle as well?

Yes. definitely. Total aerobic workout.

[StateOfTrance]

diet is 70%, weight training is 30%

I think we need to add genetics to this somehow.

[DEEPER KEMICAL]

I think we need to add genetics to this somehow.

yea of course. but for the majority, your diet is what fuels your workouts and causes you to gain/lose.

[StateOfTrance]

yea of course. but for the majority, your diet is what fuels your workouts and causes you to gain/lose.

Yea true, I was just thinkin of how some people can eat a crap diet and still get big and strong. They may not hit there full potential but they still may gain much more than somebody else who has a perfect diet.