can doing cardio make you gain weight?

thomasxaviersayles

Without a investment of nutritious food and weight training, one can't build muscle. The nutrition investment must exceed caloric burn to increase muscle mass otherwise one is expecting to gain from nothing. Muscle is gained when there occurs micro tears in the muscle tissue and when proper carbs, fats, and proteins are provided the body repairs this muscle with more tissue, hence an increase in mass. I also want to add that Essential fatty acids are vital to proper nutrition and body health.

sccet

...but what about putting on muscle mass due to cardio exercise? I have to think that intense cardio builds muscle (which is GOOD) weight. One can add muscle eating at a deficit....

What? No. Long cardio sessions build muscle endurance, not strength. And it's extremely difficult for a woman to build muscle in the first place. Near impossible eating on a deficit.

I did not mention strength at all. If one is doing intense cardio, and building endurance, there is SOME increased muscle weight that accompanies that....otherwise, how are your existing muscles learning/changing to endure more? I know that women do not bulk easily, but I think that the extreme talk is not wholly accurate. OP could be adding some amount of muscle weight (as well as the water storage issue referenced above) that will cease after a few weeks.

heybales

...but what about putting on muscle mass due to cardio exercise? I have to think that intense cardio builds muscle (which is GOOD) weight. One can add muscle eating at a deficit....

What? No. Long cardio sessions build muscle endurance, not strength. And it's extremely difficult for a woman to build muscle in the first place. Near impossible eating on a deficit.

I did not mention strength at all. If one is doing intense cardio, and building endurance, there is SOME increased muscle weight that accompanies that....otherwise, how are your existing muscles learning/changing to endure more? I know that women do not bulk easily, but I think that the extreme talk is not wholly accurate. OP could be adding some amount of muscle weight (as well as the water storage issue referenced above) that will cease after a few weeks.

They are adding on glucose stores. You can train cardio and body can add another 500 calories worth of glucose, that would weigh 1 lb with the required water stored with it. Hence the reason muscles look bigger too, water.

That's how they endure more, not because of more muscle, but by storing more of the required glucose energy to burn with the fat used.

In fact, you look at most endurance runners, they have no extra muscle beyond what they really need. Unnecessary weight to be carried, actually a negative. And their training style enhances that extra muscle won't be added.

Now look at sprinters, with the type of workout that can build muscle. Besides doing weight lifting anyway.

doubleduofa

I think it can make you retain water ,especially if you aren't drinking enough. That might account for an increase on the scale.

sccet

...but what about putting on muscle mass due to cardio exercise? I have to think that intense cardio builds muscle (which is GOOD) weight. One can add muscle eating at a deficit....

What? No. Long cardio sessions build muscle endurance, not strength. And it's extremely difficult for a woman to build muscle in the first place. Near impossible eating on a deficit.

I did not mention strength at all. If one is doing intense cardio, and building endurance, there is SOME increased muscle weight that accompanies that....otherwise, how are your existing muscles learning/changing to endure more? I know that women do not bulk easily, but I think that the extreme talk is not wholly accurate. OP could be adding some amount of muscle weight (as well as the water storage issue referenced above) that will cease after a few weeks.

They are adding on glucose stores. You can train cardio and body can add another 500 calories worth of glucose, that would weigh 1 lb with the required water stored with it. Hence the reason muscles look bigger too, water.

That's how they endure more, not because of more muscle, but by storing more of the required glucose energy to burn with the fat used.

In fact, you look at most endurance runners, they have no extra muscle beyond what they really need. Unnecessary weight to be carried, actually a negative. And their training style enhances that extra muscle won't be added.

Now look at sprinters, with the type of workout that can build muscle. Besides doing weight lifting anyway.

Interesting. Thanks! Does intensive, long term cardio add to muscle density? Tougher meat, fast twitch v slow twitch, etc?

heybales

They are adding on glucose stores. You can train cardio and body can add another 500 calories worth of glucose, that would weigh 1 lb with the required water stored with it. Hence the reason muscles look bigger too, water.

That's how they endure more, not because of more muscle, but by storing more of the required glucose energy to burn with the fat used.

In fact, you look at most endurance runners, they have no extra muscle beyond what they really need. Unnecessary weight to be carried, actually a negative. And their training style enhances that extra muscle won't be added.

Now look at sprinters, with the type of workout that can build muscle. Besides doing weight lifting anyway.

Interesting. Thanks! Does intensive, long term cardio add to muscle density? Tougher meat, fast twitch v slow twitch, etc?

The description intensive and long term, as in a single workout session - don't belong together.

If long term, then you aren't truly getting intense, it's impossible. You may feel it's intense, but not what it could be if you made it shorter and even more intense.

That will help build some muscle, whatever you have a genetic disposition to, and then you train it aerobically for the endurance.

If you mean just having intense workouts, almost everyday, for a long time, no. Because that's still not intervals. You'll just be training your body to deal with clearing lactic acid faster, dealing with it being elevated, raising your lactate threshold, training the body to burn carbs better, increasing storage of said carbs without the endurance method.