Is there such a thing as too much cardio?

Options
1qtnewf
1qtnewf Posts: 3
in Fitness and Exercise
Okay, so I realize that I am going a little heavy on the exercise lately, but I am beyond sick and tired of not seeing the scale move.

I went to a Nutritionist yesterday for the first time, and she has advised me to do a couple of things to start:

#1. Take probiotics to assist digestion, as I have had my gall bladder removed and it is recommended for us peeps.

#2. Take a B Complex vitamin to boost energy, boost metabolism, reduce stress, and all sorts of other good stuff.

#3. Don't do cardio for more than 60 minutes per session. Ever.


SAY WHAT!?! I cringed when she said that...which makes me think I might be a bit obsessed lately....but if I am able to do it, and it's good for the calorie burn, why not?
Will your body go in to shock? Is it useless to do more than 60 minutes?

I don't do it often - maybe once a week on the weekends when I have the time.

When I am doing cardio, I mostly do the elliptical, but I vary the speed, and the resistance all the time to keep my body from getting too used to the exercise and I also throw in the upright bike and walking to vary things up.

Anyways - how much is too much? Anyone know?

Gracias!
~Jenn

http://1qtnewf.blogspot.com/2012/01/30-in-30.html

Replies

  • scottb81
    scottb81 Posts: 2,538 Member
    Options
    Many distance runners do a lot more than 60 minutes per day. As long as you have built up to it and eat properly it isn't going to hurt you.

    If you are obsessed then I am obsessed worse. I generally run 60 to 150 minutes each day, six days a week.
  • monty_williams
    monty_williams Posts: 76
    Options
    Cortisol is released after about 45-60 minutes of continuous exercise, she may be concerned about that. She could also be concerned about liver glycogen depletion, but that usually takes a couple hours or more. Why not just ask her what her reasoning is?
  • thecrossfitter
    thecrossfitter Posts: 424 Member
    Options
    I can only answer from my own personal experience. Starting in early 2011, I decided I would run my second half marathon and first full marathon. I trained all year starting in March. I'm talking running 40-50 miles a week. I had lost weight in the past with running, and it got me so far.

    But then, around June, I looked like my photo on the left in my profile. And I was stuck. Stuck ALL summer. And pissed. And felt like a failure. Then I read this: http://www.crossfitsouthbay.com/2011/05/skinny-fat/ and decided to add strength training.

    Without changing my diet, I did the first three photos in three months. Since the third photo, I cleaned up my diet, and have seen great changes in my body and performance. I lift heavy and often, and combine strength and cardio. Intense and shorter training sessions, but still long runs usually once a week. Crossfit is my personal preference, but certainly not the only way.

    I think that when I lost weight from running alone, I was burning a lot of my lean muscle mass along with the fat, and now that I lift I am preserving that (and I think I even built some muscle - not much, but some - when I first started).

    And I knocked nearly 2 minutes off my mile time without running more than 400 meters :)

    Only my own experience. But now I do both. I crossfit AND I run, and somewhere along the way, fell in love with the barbell :)

    PS - I recently got a Garmin watch with HRM. I wore the HRM for kicks and giggles the other day. I learned my resting heart rate is around 62... and running a 5K I burned less than 200 calories. This is cool, because it means I'm in better shape! But in terms of a burn... that seems quite low to what I thought I'd burn with a 3 miles run!

Categories