Is cardio bad for you?
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Cardio is bad for me because I hate it.0
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If you wanted to get all scientific about the basis for this claim in any case, dieting in general is a stress. And of course training is a stress. And the more extreme you do of each, the more of a stress occurs. A lot of what is going on when folks try to combine excessive caloric deficits with massive amounts of activity is that cortisol just goes through the roof Simply, you get these massive chronic elevations in cortisol levels.
Cortisol is one of those hormones that I imagine everyone reading this has heard about and about which a lot of misinformation exists. Simply cortisol is a stress hormone, released by the body in response to nearly all kinds of stress. In the fitness/bodybuilding world, cortisol has gotten an almost exclusively negative reputation (cortisol is ‘bad’ in the way that testosterone and thyroid are ‘good’) although this is simplistically incorrect.
Rather, whether cortisol does good things or bad things in the body depends on how it’s released. For example, the morning cortisol pulse helps to promote fat mobilization. In contrast, a chronic elevation of cortisol (especially in the face of high insulin levels) tend to promote visceral fat accumulation.
Chronic elevations in cortisol can cause a lot of bad things to happen. One of them is simply water retention,water retention can mask fat loss, sometimes for extremely extended periods.
Another effect of chronically elevated cortisol levels is leptin resistance in the brain. Leptin is a hormone that plays a crucial role in appetite and weight control. It is thought to have at least two major functions. First, it crosses the blood-brain barrier and binds to receptors in the appetite center in the brain, regulating brain cells that tell you how much to eat.
I'll just put this here for some clarification but I think it is unnecessarily over-complicating things, a majority of people combine weight training and cardio with no problems at all.
I think just focusing on CICO is fine, if it aint broke don't fix it!
source:http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html/0 -
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It is slightly true only because you are first losing water weight but no it will not make you fat. You SHOULD start weight training and do more of 15-30 min of cardio with 45-60 of weight training just so you are not sacrificing muscle mass alongside with fat. But no, too much cardio will not make you fat but it will detroy you muscles.0
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upgradeddiddy wrote: »It is slightly true only because you are first losing water weight but no it will not make you fat. You SHOULD start weight training and do more of 15-30 min of cardio with 45-60 of weight training just so you are not sacrificing muscle mass alongside with fat. But no, too much cardio will not make you fat but it will detroy you muscles.
So everyone should follow this routine irrespective of fitness goals and abilities?
Um, no.
Care to guess how much cardio it takes to ""destroy you (sic) muscles"?
Oh yes, there was a study on people running ultra marathons day after day that showed some slight and localised muscle damage. Not really an issue that is going to affect many people.0 -
WHAAAAAT???
This article is explains that long duration cardio is not the optimal FAT burning method. For burning calories and to stay in a calorie deficit doing cardio workouts does and will help you lose WEIGHT. But you cannot eat more than your burn or you will gain weight. To put your body into an efficient fat burning machine do HIIT and lift weights.
Cardio does NOT make a person gain weight. Re-read the article and take the advice from it and do some further research...0 -
Interesting article - not sure what all the negative posts about it are.
Cardio is an excellent exercise to do as a warm up or on rest days, but I haven't seen any evidence that the information in the article is incorrect.
Yes, it's not written very well, but the information in it is correct, high levels of cortical in the body are not good (cortisol in it's self is an essential hormone and many great things - but as we like to say on MFP, everything in moderation).
Chronic cardio can be extremely bad for you. If you look at some of the elite endurance runners they are probably without doubt some of the fittest people on the planet, but I should think they are also some of the most unhealthy.0 -
Cardio actually helped me loose 10 pounds of my weight. I was weight training 4x a week with hardly any cardio except when I would do HIIT and that was once or twice a month. I hit a 6 week plateau where I didn't loose anything. I decided to start doing Zumba 3x a week just for fun (shut up it's my guilty pleasure) and I randomly lost 10 pounds. I hadn't changed anything with my diet, I just added cardio.0
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tennisdude2004 wrote: »Interesting article - not sure what all the negative posts about it are.
Cardio is an excellent exercise to do as a warm up or on rest days, but I haven't seen any evidence that the information in the article is incorrect.
Yes, it's not written very well, but the information in it is correct, high levels of cortical in the body are not good (cortisol in it's self is an essential hormone and many great things - but as we like to say on MFP, everything in moderation).
Chronic cardio can be extremely bad for you. If you look at some of the elite endurance runners they are probably without doubt some of the fittest people on the planet, but I should think they are also some of the most unhealthy.
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Yup burning calories will make you fat0
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I don't mean to sound argumentative, hopefully I simply misunderstood your meaning.tennisdude2004 wrote: »Chronic cardio can be extremely bad for you. If you look at some of the elite endurance runners they are probably without doubt some of the fittest people on the planet, but I should think they are also some of the most unhealthy.
I did a Google image search for "elite endurance athletes" and I'm struggling to find anything that appears unhealthy with them.
Also, in line with that I am struggling with the part where you said they are the "fittest" while simultaneously the "most unhealthy". I think that might be due to the meaning of those words:
fit·ness
ˈfitnəs/
noun
noun: fitness
the condition of being physically fit and healthy.
"disease and lack of fitness are closely related"
synonyms: good health, strength, robustness, vigor, athleticism, toughness, physical fitness, muscularity; More
It seems that in order to be fit, one is also healthy by definition.
I'm sure it is a simple misunderstanding.0 -
Cardio (like any other physical activity like housework) burns calories. Once glycogen stores are depleted, then fat stores are uses as energy. But it does take quite a lot of effort to burn off glycogen stores. We burn off most of our fat at rest. In fact sleeping for 8 hours will easily burn more fat than doing 1 hour of cardio.grimmeanor wrote: »Cardio burns a lot of fat, it can not be blamed for making one fat.
Some people will say that doing only cardio will make you "skinny fat". I think that's just a way of saying "lean but not ripped".
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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Unfortunately the author strategically picked out "parts" of studies to support their stance on cardio.
Don't always believe everything you read on the internet. Peer reviewed clinical studies (not just parts of them) are a better choice to research information that you're interested in reading and learning about. The author is basically "brosciencing" their opinion on cardio.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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I have heard people say that alot too and i look at em like huh??
I LOVE running.
I had a bad winter, not working out much. But now I am back at it. Recording all my food and back to running again.
Hope to do a few 10k’s and maybe a Half Marathon this summer if I can train properly. Looking to stay motivated and hungry, so
Any runners out there feel free to add me! Thanks
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grimmeanor wrote: »
I don't mean to sound argumentative, hopefully I simply misunderstood your meaning.tennisdude2004 wrote: »Chronic cardio can be extremely bad for you. If you look at some of the elite endurance runners they are probably without doubt some of the fittest people on the planet, but I should think they are also some of the most unhealthy.
I did a Google image search for "elite endurance athletes" and I'm struggling to find anything that appears unhealthy with them.
Also, in line with that I am struggling with the part where you said they are the "fittest" while simultaneously the "most unhealthy". I think that might be due to the meaning of those words:
fit·ness
ˈfitnəs/
noun
noun: fitness
the condition of being physically fit and healthy.
"disease and lack of fitness are closely related"
synonyms: good health, strength, robustness, vigor, athleticism, toughness, physical fitness, muscularity; More
It seems that in order to be fit, one is also healthy by definition.
I'm sure it is a simple misunderstanding.
It is!
Fitness is a measure of physical ability!
To get to the level of fitness achieved by endurance athletes, must train and push your body to levels that are adverse to your health and potentially reduce your life span.
I'm not saying people shouldn't run marathons or take part in triathlon's (each to their own) but studies have proven that training and pushing your body to attain that level of fitness is detrimental to your health.
That's all I was saying - health and fitness, at that level, are two different things.
Also I think your google might be broken!!!!
I typed:
Are endurance Athletes hea....
one of the first things was:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athletic_heart_syndrome
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Aha. OK, I was not familiar with that heart syndrome, which seems to affect many kinds of athletes. Although one might be able to conclude that endurance athletes, with the length of time they exercise, would be most susceptible. Seems reasonable.tennisdude2004 wrote: »It is!
Fitness is a measure of physical ability!
To get to the level of fitness achieved by endurance athletes, must train and push your body to levels that are adverse to your health and potentially reduce your life span.
I'm not saying people shouldn't run marathons or take part in triathlon's (each to their own) but studies have proven that training and pushing your body to attain that level of fitness is detrimental to your health.
That's all I was saying - health and fitness, at that level, are two different things.
Also I think your google might be broken!!!!
I typed:
Are endurance Athletes hea....
one of the first things was:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athletic_heart_syndrome
So I figured it can't be too hard to find info to support that which wasn't in a sports/fitness site, or one of the commonly debunked studies tossed out by some of the common cardio haters. The NIH fits that bill, but doesn't seem to match that line of reasoning though.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8450727
The men on my mothers side of the family have a history of heart issues. The oldest one (was one of the younger actually) is a life long marathon runner. Granted, that is n=5, but still...
My doctor hasn't warned me about distance running. He was thrilled actually.
It is good food for thought though. If someone can prove it, then it would be worth considering. Clearly this hasn't been proven though, I have a really good doctor (in my opinion). He is up on things for sure.0 -
grimmeanor wrote: »
Aha. OK, I was not familiar with that heart syndrome, which seems to affect many kinds of athletes. Although one might be able to conclude that endurance athletes, with the length of time they exercise, would be most susceptible. Seems reasonable.tennisdude2004 wrote: »It is!
Fitness is a measure of physical ability!
To get to the level of fitness achieved by endurance athletes, must train and push your body to levels that are adverse to your health and potentially reduce your life span.
I'm not saying people shouldn't run marathons or take part in triathlon's (each to their own) but studies have proven that training and pushing your body to attain that level of fitness is detrimental to your health.
That's all I was saying - health and fitness, at that level, are two different things.
Also I think your google might be broken!!!!
I typed:
Are endurance Athletes hea....
one of the first things was:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athletic_heart_syndrome
So I figured it can't be too hard to find info to support that which wasn't in a sports/fitness site, or one of the commonly debunked studies tossed out by some of the common cardio haters. The NIH fits that bill, but doesn't seem to match that line of reasoning though.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8450727
The men on my mothers side of the family have a history of heart issues. The oldest one (was one of the younger actually) is a life long marathon runner. Granted, that is n=5, but still...
My doctor hasn't warned me about distance running. He was thrilled actually.
It is good food for thought though. If someone can prove it, then it would be worth considering. Clearly this hasn't been proven though, I have a really good doctor (in my opinion). He is up on things for sure.
But ... wikipedia ....0 -
yep... i put on a few pounds training for the LA Marathon. now that its done with, i'm going back to the couch0
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brianpperkins wrote: »grimmeanor wrote: »
Aha. OK, I was not familiar with that heart syndrome, which seems to affect many kinds of athletes. Although one might be able to conclude that endurance athletes, with the length of time they exercise, would be most susceptible. Seems reasonable.tennisdude2004 wrote: »It is!
Fitness is a measure of physical ability!
To get to the level of fitness achieved by endurance athletes, must train and push your body to levels that are adverse to your health and potentially reduce your life span.
I'm not saying people shouldn't run marathons or take part in triathlon's (each to their own) but studies have proven that training and pushing your body to attain that level of fitness is detrimental to your health.
That's all I was saying - health and fitness, at that level, are two different things.
Also I think your google might be broken!!!!
I typed:
Are endurance Athletes hea....
one of the first things was:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athletic_heart_syndrome
So I figured it can't be too hard to find info to support that which wasn't in a sports/fitness site, or one of the commonly debunked studies tossed out by some of the common cardio haters. The NIH fits that bill, but doesn't seem to match that line of reasoning though.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8450727
The men on my mothers side of the family have a history of heart issues. The oldest one (was one of the younger actually) is a life long marathon runner. Granted, that is n=5, but still...
My doctor hasn't warned me about distance running. He was thrilled actually.
It is good food for thought though. If someone can prove it, then it would be worth considering. Clearly this hasn't been proven though, I have a really good doctor (in my opinion). He is up on things for sure.
But ... wikipedia ....
I'm not anti cardio - I was just pointing out chronic cardio can be bad for your health.
Doesn't mean people shouldn't do it. I was just not being blind to it - there's a common misconception that more is good (everything in moderation).
http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/118/8/800.abstract?ijkey=678b3f685d0f4ac69f65328d5f174ec5dd8a744c&keytype2=tf_ipsecsha
Too much can be bad:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19633305
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/261531.php
http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/46/Suppl_1/i37.full#ref-22
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21200345
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16941810
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gilmore606 wrote: »I took up running and gained 600 pounds. I died. Don't let it happen to you.
lol
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Too much food makes you fat. Not cardio.0
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Too much of anything is bad for you. I'm very much an all things in moderation kind of guy. Go out and exercise...including some cardio...lift some weights...eat well...and enjoy life and take it easy once in awhile...have a slice of pizza and wash it down with a beer.0
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The article is basically a bunch of crap.
Basically taking some research on hormonal fluctuations caused by cardio exercise and extrapolating that to conclude that you will get fatter is logically flawed especially when studies exist which ACTUALLY LOOK AT FAT LOSS instead of hypothesizing about long term effects.
And when you actually look at those studies you see that SUPRISE CARDIO HELPS PEOPLE LOSE FAT.
Jose Antonio has a good blog post about this and Ben Carpenter has a great facebook thread, both referenced, that address the exact article in question. Suffice it to say that the article is a gigantic steaming turd.0 -
Well, you know, except where exercise DOES burn more calories and can make you lose faster if you don't start eating more to compensate for it.lovelaughrun wrote: »AllanMisner wrote: »This is an excellent question! Our bodies were designed to do certain things, our genetics drive what we’re best at, and volume can be a problem for even the best of us.
Elite endurance athletes often struggle with very bad health issues. Why? Because they pushed themselves so far for so long. Exercise is stress, and the more intense, more often, longer we’re under stress, the more acute the response. In short, or light bouts, that can lead to adaptive improvement. And then there’s the line where it becomes chronic.
From personal experience, I’ve found my appetite goes crazy when I’m pushing out a lot of cardio. So, when I’m training for a longer run (like a marathon), I’m likely to put on weight. If I train doing long, slow distance and mix in some HIIT, I’m able to avoid the appetite pop.
Fat loss comes from what and how much you eat. Exercise should be geared toward other health and fitness goals. If you want good cardiovascular endurance, then by all means, train that way. But don’t think, I’ll burn more calories and lose faster. Patience and persistence are key.
this guy ^^ gives out good, solid advice
So, other than being wrong, or at best misleading.0 -
AllanMisner wrote: »This is an excellent question! Our bodies were designed to do certain things, our genetics drive what we’re best at, and volume can be a problem for even the best of us.
Elite endurance athletes often struggle with very bad health issues. Why? Because they pushed themselves so far for so long. Exercise is stress, and the more intense, more often, longer we’re under stress, the more acute the response. In short, or light bouts, that can lead to adaptive improvement. And then there’s the line where it becomes chronic.
From personal experience, I’ve found my appetite goes crazy when I’m pushing out a lot of cardio. So, when I’m training for a longer run (like a marathon), I’m likely to put on weight. If I train doing long, slow distance and mix in some HIIT, I’m able to avoid the appetite pop.
Fat loss comes from what and how much you eat. Exercise should be geared toward other health and fitness goals. If you want good cardiovascular endurance, then by all means, train that way. But don’t think, I’ll burn more calories and lose faster. Patience and persistence are key.
Back in my hay-day of mountain biking on a single speed, I would consistently pull 2-4 hour rides 3-4 times every week. Each ride, I would easily burn 1000-2000 calories, 1800 being the most consistent number (I averaged 600 calories/hour).
Was I hungry when I got home? Yeah, a little. I certainly ate a lot since I managed to maintain my weight at 180-185 lbs, but there was no way I could eat more than 1800 calories within a couple of hours after the ride.0 -
i'm a triathlete... best shape of my life0
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AllanMisner wrote: »Exercise should be geared toward other health and fitness goals. If you want good cardiovascular endurance, then by all means, train that way. But don’t think, I’ll burn more calories and lose faster. Patience and persistence are key.
So this. I do my runs every other day to give my body time to catch up. I do love my gains in endurance and cardiovascular health. Even my doctor has noted how much perkier I look.0
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