Can too much cardio kill your metabolism?

graysmom2005

I met up with an old friend today who used to be a cardio bunny/group ex'er like me. She since started training to be in fitness competitions and it's teeny tiny/very low body fat. She said that too much cardio can kill your metabolism and that that is probably why I can't lose any weight. I teach 10 strength/cardio classes a week. I never heard of this before. Has anyone else? It sucks because unless I give up my classes/job, I'm stuck where I am.

KimH313

i hope you get some replies! im curious if that is true now! could be the reason im not losing weight either

Makers72

You need to make sure you are eating some major calories to compensate for all of the cardio classes.



How many cals that is? Im not sure. Get a bodybugg and see how many calories you burn in a week compared to how much you take in.

mommymeg2

I'd say yes if you aren't eating enough.

Carrie3B

Well, you already know what my metabolic test showed. That I was overtraining and my metabolism was basically going backwards--grrrrr! Whereas my body use to burn about 50% carbs/sugar and 50% fat (good), it now burns about 93% carbs/sugar (bad). Since I'm eating the same, getting the same amount of sleep etc... we are attributing it to overtraining.

Not sure if I'm buying this but I'm cutting back this month on my cardio (except I'm still in training for a half marathon) and will see if the results change. So weird to think that too much exercise might be hurting and not helping.

Would love to hear other people's opinions on this matter as well!!

neanderthin

It can happen. Saying that, diet and exercise combined has a protective effect on body composition and raises metabolic rate in general, but if someone is consuming low calories and over train on aerobic exercise, generally experience fast weight loss and a slower metabolism, with lean body mass loss as well. Adaptive thermgenesis basically is kicking in protecting fat stores.

skydivelife

Yes! It's. True.

Yanicka1

Yes it does. Did you start lifting yet. Many of us told you many time to start lifting and eating more

MrsCon40

It does. Cardio trains your body to work more efficiency - that's why you burn fewer calories doing the same activity over time.

Lifting heavy and adding LBM raises your metabolism because it requires more calories to maintain muscle than fat.

There you go - question answered.

4theking

Yes, yes, yes. Too much stress of any kind does bad things to hormones and hormones control metabolism. Stress raises cortisol and cortisol and progresterone fight for the same receptors. This can lead to estrogen dominance in females and this can cause all sorts of problems.

Rae6503

Have you tried eating at your BMF TDEE for a good 2 weeks to reset your metabolism?

graysmom2005

I don't have time to add in lifting heavy right now. Sorry. If I drop some classes...then maybe. I have a BMF with a TDEE average of 28-2900 a day. I eat around 2200 a day, so I'm eating a good amount. :-)

Rae6503

I don't have time to add in lifting heavy right now. Sorry. If I drop some classes...then maybe. I have a BMF with a TDEE average of 28-2900 a day. I eat around 2200 a day, so I'm eating a good amount. :-)

Try eating the 2800 for two weeks. Theoretically this means you'd maintain your weight, which is what you are doing anyway, so what can it hurt?

sleepytexan

That's pretty ridiculous. However, if you are teaching that many classes and you aren't keeping your calories up to match, that would be the way to kill your metabolism.

fatboypup

cardio is king .......

Chipmaniac

I do at least 90 minutes of cardio at least 6 days a week. I've lost 3+ pounds a week consistently for three months and am approaching my ideal weight. I doubt it's the cardio that is the causing your problem. You have to be wary of propaganda from weight lifters and body builders who bash cardio. Most of the time it seems that they don't like doing cardio and thus come up with reasons why people shouldn't do it.

If cardio killed your metabolism then serious cyclists and runners would have weight issues.

Yanicka1

I don't have time to add in lifting heavy right now. Sorry. If I drop some classes...then maybe. I have a BMF with a TDEE average of 28-2900 a day. I eat around 2200 a day, so I'm eating a good amount. :-)

If you always do what you always did, you will always get what you always got

graysmom2005

I don't have time to add in lifting heavy right now. Sorry. If I drop some classes...then maybe. I have a BMF with a TDEE average of 28-2900 a day. I eat around 2200 a day, so I'm eating a good amount. :-)

If you always do what you always did, you will always get what you always got

which I understand, but my problem is it's my job. I'm a stay at home mom, and teaching group ex is how I help contribute monetarily so it's not like I'm just putting my foot down to be stubborn. I stop the classes, I stop the income.

graysmom2005

I do at least 90 minutes of cardio at least 6 days a week. I've lost 3+ pounds a week consistently for three months and am approaching my ideal weight. I doubt it's the cardio that is the causing your problem. You have to be wary of propaganda from weight lifters and body builders who bash cardio. Most of the time it seems that they don't like doing cardio and thus come up with reasons why people shouldn't do it.

If cardio killed your metabolism then serious cyclists and runners would have weight issues.

She was actually a cardio queen. Did tons of running/spinning etc. Once she stopped and just did 4 or 5 workouts a week of lifting primarily she dropped lots of weight/became very lean/muscular. So I dunno...with her it worked.

icandoit203

since ur a sahm can you by weights from the store and do it at home 30 mins 3xs a week that might help. it may not be an hour but 30 mins when u drop the kids off or before you go to bed. It helps evert little counts

graysmom2005

since ur a sahm can you by weights from the store and do it at home 30 mins 3xs a week that might help. it may not be an hour but 30 mins when u drop the kids off or before you go to bed. It helps evert little counts

I actually teach Bodypump 4 times a week which is barbell/strength training, so I'm good on weights! :-))))

Elf_Princess1210

I met up with an old friend today who used to be a cardio bunny/group ex'er like me. She since started training to be in fitness competitions and it's teeny tiny/very low body fat. She said that too much cardio can kill your metabolism and that that is probably why I can't lose any weight. I teach 10 strength/cardio classes a week. I never heard of this before. Has anyone else? It sucks because unless I give up my classes/job, I'm stuck where I am.

Too much of anything isn't good. I tend to lose too quickly if I overdo the cardio.

monty619

well no... too much cardio will make your body in better shape so the more you do cardio the less calories you burn... you either have to increase the duration or intensity of the cardio, or make it so your body cannot get used to chronic cardio.. my suggestion would either to either do sprints (HIIT) because its very hard for the body to get used to running full speed, or take a week or two off of cardio (lower calories as well) and literally get out of shape and the next time you do cardio it will have an increased caloric burn.

for these reasons cardio is the least important to me when creating an aesthetic looking physique.. diet would be first, resistance training second, proper recovery third, and cardio last in terms of importance.. the cardio i add in once i have lost a good amount of weight from just cutting down on food and put the cardio in once i hit some sort of plateau... if you are the kind of person who LOVES cardiovascular exercise then keep doing it.. but if ur not, just know its not needed to get the body you want

xSophia19

well they do say not to do the same kind of workout every day as your metabolism will slow down.. soo mixing excercise up - do alternative days of cardio and strength training and the weight will come off .. thats what i got told anyway! it might work for some, it might now he he

ninerbuff

I met up with an old friend today who used to be a cardio bunny/group ex'er like me. She since started training to be in fitness competitions and it's teeny tiny/very low body fat. She said that too much cardio can kill your metabolism and that that is probably why I can't lose any weight. I teach 10 strength/cardio classes a week. I never heard of this before. Has anyone else? It sucks because unless I give up my classes/job, I'm stuck where I am.

Yes. Because too much cardio can burn lean muscle, if you're not nutritionally balanced, which lowers your metabolic rate.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

autumnk921

Bump...

ninerbuff

which I understand, but my problem is it's my job. I'm a stay at home mom, and teaching group ex is how I help contribute monetarily so it's not like I'm just putting my foot down to be stubborn. I stop the classes, I stop the income.

Then be an "instructor". You DON'T have to do the class. Show the movement and "walk" the class. That's what an instructor should do. If you're making the class your workout, then how are instructing if someone has bad form? Are you physically walking over and making corrections? Or are you cueing them?
I instruct kickboxing and walk the class. My own workout, I do on my own.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

ATOLLIT

It does not kill your metabolism. Exercising encourages your body to use its fuels more efficiently, so the more cardiovascular fitness you have, the less calories you will burn with the same amount of exercise. Not equivalent to slowing down metabolism.

DaveC29

I run 30-40 Miles a week and I'm still losing 2-3 pounds per week...

Eating well, always exceed my protein by a little, giving my body plenty of carbs to burn and staying well hydrated.

Cardio does train your body to run more efficeintly, but a lot of that is to deal with the increased oxygen demand and removal of lactate from your muscles over long distances. Like anything else, you want to keep your body guessing so it cannot get really efficient at one thing- lifting the same weight in the same routine over and over will also show slowed results.

Mix your cardio up... I do 2 long runs each week (slow pace, looking for endurance, feel like I can run all day slow), 1 Easy runs (comfortable pace, not breathing too heavy), and 3 tempo runs (interval for 3-5 min x 5 reps, or ladders- run fast for 400,800,1200,1600 and back down with a 400 meter rest in between)

This builds strength, speed, endurance and makes the body efficient.

ironanimal

I met up with an old friend today who used to be a cardio bunny/group ex'er like me. She since started training to be in fitness competitions and it's teeny tiny/very low body fat. She said that too much cardio can kill your metabolism and that that is probably why I can't lose any weight. I teach 10 strength/cardio classes a week. I never heard of this before. Has anyone else? It sucks because unless I give up my classes/job, I'm stuck where I am.

Yes. Because too much cardio can burn lean muscle, if you're not nutritionally balanced, which lowers your metabolic rate.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

This + extreme stress on the nervous system.

tinattinat

which I understand, but my problem is it's my job. I'm a stay at home mom, and teaching group ex is how I help contribute monetarily so it's not like I'm just putting my foot down to be stubborn. I stop the classes, I stop the income.

Then be an "instructor". You DON'T have to do the class. Show the movement and "walk" the class. That's what an instructor should do. If you're making the class your workout, then how are instructing if someone has bad form? Are you physically walking over and making corrections? Or are you cueing them?
I instruct kickboxing and walk the class. My own workout, I do on my own.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

I'm pretty sure with Body Pump ( les mills programs) she CAN'T "walk" the class. She HAS to DO the workout. She could use less weight on her bar, but more than likely, participants will notice and probably not be as motivated to "load up" their own......
I teach Group Power (which is basically the same as Body Pump. I actually do weights on my own at least once a week and/or go to a boot camp class. My body is so used to Power classes, I just don't get the same benefit anymore. I have to do other stuff.