Running...help or hinder weight loss??

michellekicks

Running is my main activity. I can tell you that when I'm really dedicated to running weight loss is hindered unless I'm meticulous with it and don't try to set up too big a caloric deficit. 3-400 cal/day max deficit to lose while training in my opinion.

And the lift weights or you'll lose muscle mass is BS. Absolutely not a universal truth. I have the same 120 lbs fat-free mass as I did 10 years ago. I run; I do body-weight exercises; I've done martial arts (about 7 of the last 10 years) and I've done yoga. That's about it.

Actually, it's a 100% truth. If you're not eating enough and you start a high intensity cardiovascular program, muscle mass will be lost. Running is a cardiovascualr aerobic exercise. You body will push to a point where it will eat muscle instead of fat for energy because it's easier for your body to do so. You most likey have found your happy medium. Kudos.

If there is a "happy medium" you're congratulating me on finding, then losing muscle mass when not weight lifting while dieting cannot be a universal truth.

I, for one, do NOT believe I'm a special snowflake. If I can maintain my lean mass, others can too.

ivikatasha

Sorry don't mean to hijack this thread, been reading the whole thing and would like come clarifacation. I started C25K on Friday and I haven't run in like 8 years, other then OMG A BUG IS CHASING ME kinda running. My muscles hurt like hell the day after and I noticed I had gained like 3 pounds on the scale (which I know I didn't eat enough for that...)

It was my muscles retaining water and such because it was making repairs?

super_monty

I have lost 34ls mainly through running I take protein shakes to prevent muscle loss, running can burn muscle, I was creating a cal deficit of 1100 sometimes.

michellekicks

It was my muscles retaining water and such because it was making repairs?

Yes. Swelling because it's a new activity and your muscles aren't used to it and extra water.

ivikatasha

It was my muscles retaining water and such because it was making repairs?

Yes. Swelling because it's a new activity and your muscles aren't used to it and extra water.

Thanks! Good to know

RGv2

Running is my main activity. I can tell you that when I'm really dedicated to running weight loss is hindered unless I'm meticulous with it and don't try to set up too big a caloric deficit. 3-400 cal/day max deficit to lose while training in my opinion.

And the lift weights or you'll lose muscle mass is BS. Absolutely not a universal truth. I have the same 120 lbs fat-free mass as I did 10 years ago. I run; I do body-weight exercises; I've done martial arts (about 7 of the last 10 years) and I've done yoga. That's about it.

Actually, it's a 100% truth. If you're not eating enough and you start a high intensity cardiovascular program, muscle mass will be lost. Running is a cardiovascualr aerobic exercise. You body will push to a point where it will eat muscle instead of fat for energy because it's easier for your body to do so. You most likey have found your happy medium. Kudos.

If there is a "happy medium" you're congratulating me on finding, then losing muscle mass when not weight lifting while dieting cannot be a universal truth.

I, for one, do NOT believe I'm a special snowflake. If I can maintain my lean mass, others can too.

Um, correct? Sorry, but it's a scientific fact that the body will eat muscle during extreme cardiovascular exercise (distance running), if you push too hard. I didn't say "everyone loses muscle by running" did I? It takes an absolute TON of exercise to add/lose enough muscle to notice it on the scale.

CarsonRuns

Um, correct? Sorry, but it's a scientific fact that the body will eat muscle during extreme cardiovascular exercise (distance running), if you push too hard. I didn't say "everyone loses muscle by running" did I? It takes an absolute TON of exercise to add/lose enough muscle to notice it on the scale.

You define "extreme" as "distance running". What distance? How long? Not just your opinion, but show me some research that defines at what point the perfectly healthy body will turn on itself and start devouring muscle. Go ahead. I'll wait.

WendyTerry420

First off.. You are not gaining muscle.. not even a teeny tiny bit. Unless you doing heavy strength training, eating in a calorie surplus and taking steroids, there is no way muscle is being gained.

Second, what you are prob. seeing is water retention from the muscles healing... which means you are going to see the scale go up temporarily, but it won't last long.

Third, how are you measuring calorie burns from the runs? It could be possible that you are overestimating calories burned and eating too much.. and that will also hinder weight loss.

Fourth, please start strength training.. running is great and all, but strength training will help you preserve muscle and lose mainly fat instead of fat and muscle.

Wrong, I notice the best leanest muscles in my calves from running and my butt muscles is really developing!

OMG @ Calves! (mine too) I love it!

LisaWilson2012

First off.. You are not gaining muscle.. not even a teeny tiny bit. Unless you doing heavy strength training, eating in a calorie surplus and taking steroids, there is no way muscle is being gained.

Second, what you are prob. seeing is water retention from the muscles healing... which means you are going to see the scale go up temporarily, but it won't last long.

Third, how are you measuring calorie burns from the runs? It could be possible that you are overestimating calories burned and eating too much.. and that will also hinder weight loss.

Fourth, please start strength training.. running is great and all, but strength training will help you preserve muscle and lose mainly fat instead of fat and muscle.

Says it all...

marijasmin

There are two types of muscle fibres. Fast type 11 and slow twitch type 1. In general slow running will build slow twitch muscle which uses oxygen has good blood supply and generally is aerobic. Slow twitch contracts more weakly but can contract repeatedly. these are used in endurance exercise such as marathon running and are why such athletes have lean long muscles. Essentially slow twitch fibres contract slowly in the presence of glucose they are cross chained.
Fast twitch muscle fibres are used in explosive exercise such as sprinting and are anaerobic activity. They give 'shape' to muscles and will be more compact and dense.

So it depends on your running: are you long slow endurance or fast explosive sprint. Or are you mixing on a treadmill. You can be building either slow twitch or fast twitch muscle fibres. Is this preset? Apparently not, muscle composition can change as form follows function.

Yes you can build muscle of different types. Slow twitch will not give definition to the muscle shape but its there. Yes you will burn muscle if you exercise intensively without glucose available. Preferentially the body will burn glucose from the blood circulation, glycogen is converted to fuel and is stored in muscles and then will convert fat to burn, finally it will use muscle.

Muscles will retain water when damaged or inflamed otherwise it isn't trapped in a muscle. Other retention is due to lymphatic drainage being poor.

Women find it hard without the higher testosterone levels of men to build fast muscle fibre, but with weight training of the right kind and persistence form can be achieved. When losing weight without compensating exercise it appears that it is fast fibres that are lost first. Since fast fibres burn more calories even at rest this will cause problems after diet with weight gain. Fast fibres are also lost with age where there is little exercise undertaken.
I haven't see any studies which elucidate which type of fast twitch are built under which circumstances, if any one can point me in that direction please.

Please comment as I would love to chat this through a little more.
Jasmin

shabaity

steroids my butt for muscles i did marching band through out how school and had absolutely no fat on my legs all muscle plus i was out leg pressing some of the boys on the varsity football team that yr with ease without having ever done strength training before freshman yr heck i gained 10 lbs muscle mass by then end of it every yr (my season generally ran thru december)

runzalot81

You are definitely building up your heart muscle and lung power And strengthening/defining your leg muscles.

I'm not sure why you're not losing weight? How are you eating? Have you noticed a reduction in fat at all?

I've been a runner plus lots of other activity for 10 years. Add me as a friend and we'll compare notes.

RGv2

Um, correct? Sorry, but it's a scientific fact that the body will eat muscle during extreme cardiovascular exercise (distance running), if you push too hard. I didn't say "everyone loses muscle by running" did I? It takes an absolute TON of exercise to add/lose enough muscle to notice it on the scale.

You define "extreme" as "distance running". What distance? How long? Not just your opinion, but show me some research that defines at what point the perfectly healthy body will turn on itself and start devouring muscle. Go ahead. I'll wait.

Meh, here's a quick google search. If you want go into the "Advanced Search" and find some .edu or .gov stuff, go ahead. I was basically not trying to write a novel on how once glycogen stores have been depleted the body will turn to the amino acids stored in muscles (burning muscle). You want a time and distance, who the hell knows, everyone is different. If you correctly fuel your body and keep it fueled during the duration of the exercise, it won't happen. Opinion? Really? Maybe science has changed since the last time I Certified, but whatever.

It's extreme, but it can happen.

Muscle Breakdown
Muscle tissue is made up mostly of protein, which, in turn, is made up of amino acids. Normally, your body does not use protein to produce energy. If you run out of glycogen stores, however, and no glucose is available, your body will then break down its own muscle tissue to release amino acids. These amino acids are sent to your liver, where they are converted to glucose in a process called gluconeogenesis. When your body starts to use muscle tissue for energy, you lose muscle mass.



Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/554481-when-does-the-body-start-to-use-muscle-tissue-for-energy/#ixzz23SmJWQjs

grace_ruthless

Um, correct? Sorry, but it's a scientific fact that the body will eat muscle during extreme cardiovascular exercise (distance running), if you push too hard. I didn't say "everyone loses muscle by running" did I? It takes an absolute TON of exercise to add/lose enough muscle to notice it on the scale.

You define "extreme" as "distance running". What distance? How long? Not just your opinion, but show me some research that defines at what point the perfectly healthy body will turn on itself and start devouring muscle. Go ahead. I'll wait.

Meh, here's a quick google search. If you want go into the "Advanced Search" and find some .edu or .gov stuff, go ahead. I was basically not trying to write a novel on how once glycogen stores have been depleted the body will turn to the amino acids stored in muscles (burning muscle). You want a time and distance, who the hell knows, everyone is different. If you correctly fuel your body and keep it fueled during the duration of the exercise, it won't happen. Opinion? Really? Maybe science has changed since the last time I Certified, but whatever.

It's extreme, but it can happen.

Muscle Breakdown
Muscle tissue is made up mostly of protein, which, in turn, is made up of amino acids. Normally, your body does not use protein to produce energy. If you run out of glycogen stores, however, and no glucose is available, your body will then break down its own muscle tissue to release amino acids. These amino acids are sent to your liver, where they are converted to glucose in a process called gluconeogenesis. When your body starts to use muscle tissue for energy, you lose muscle mass.



Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/554481-when-does-the-body-start-to-use-muscle-tissue-for-energy/#ixzz23SmJWQjs

@Grant is correct.

If you are in a calorie deficit and running, you will not gain muscle, it will aid only in your weight loss. Why do you think people with anorexia have no muscle? Their bodies are in an extreme calorie deficit, have used up all their energy resources (Carbs --> Fat --> Muscle).

If you are concerned about retaining/repairing the muscle, eat a protein snack after your run. Otherwise, you won't be gaining muscle - they may be more noticeable because you're actually losing the fat. But as I said before, if your body loses/eats away through the other sources of energy during a Cardio workout, then it will start to eat/use up your muscle tissue as an energy source.

- Simply Biology -

lsand

I think you need to eat more than 1400 if you are running that much, and doing other exercises besides that.

michellekicks

So I said...

... And the lift weights or you'll lose muscle mass is BS. Absolutely not a universal truth.

Then you said...

Actually, it's a 100% truth. If you're not eating enough and you start a high intensity cardiovascular program, muscle mass will be lost.

And then you said...

It's extreme, but it can happen.

So if I'm not mistaken, we agree. It can happen but won't necessarily just because you don't lift weights while dieting.

Earlier I advocated a very small caloric deficit if running is a primary activity (esp. in the absence of lifting weights). I also aim for over 100g protein daily except when I'm carb loading for a race (which I do to ensure there is sufficient glycogen stores to NOT metabolize my own muscle).

So I will stand by my original comment: You won't necessarily lose muscle mass if you don't lift.

phjamo

:indifferent: OK so the nice lady seemed to be asking why she is not losing weight...maybe we can all leave our opinions out of it and tell her what we did to lose weight (as some did and thank you for that).

I personally weighed 250lbs one year ago, I started running on a regular basis, i started eating right, i started losing weight. the only muscle that I have gained is in my legs. I currently run between 40 and 50km per week, and recently started adding some core training (weights, situps, pushups, planks). My weigh in on Sunday was 189lbs.

Hope this was helpful :ohwell:

mandypizzle

You absolutely can build muscle by running. Especially if you are running a lot of hills. I was only running for a while and not losing a pound but lost several inches. You should make sure to keep track of your measurements and try increasing your intensity and check the amount of calories you are consuming.

cubizzle

:indifferent: OK so the nice lady seemed to be asking why she is not losing weight...maybe we can all leave our opinions out of it and tell her what we did to lose weight (as some did and thank you for that).

I personally weighed 250lbs one year ago, I started running on a regular basis, i started eating right, i started losing weight. the only muscle that I have gained is in my legs. I currently run between 40 and 50km per week, and recently started adding some core training (weights, situps, pushups, planks). My weigh in on Sunday was 189lbs.

Hope this was helpful :ohwell:

This is beautiful! Well done sir

cubizzle

I've done nothing but running 15-25 miles a week and biking 20-50 miles a week the last 14 weeks and I've lost 35 lbs....for what it's worth.