New to running, lots of questions!

adkennard90

So today a guy and I were talking and he told me that running burns muscle mass. Is this true?
I feel like running should get me in shape.
I know I need to tone up and everything with weight lifting, but running burns fat too, right?

TastesLikeChicken

I lost 30 lbs running when I trained for a marathon. You can definitely lose wt and keep it off. Great cardio exercise too. Just cross train to build strength and run 3 days / wk.
Good luck!

adkennard90

I lost 30 lbs running when I trained for a marathon. You can definitely lose wt and keep it off. Great cardio exercise too. Just cross train to build strength and run 3 days / wk.
Good luck!

Thank you!! That really helps me out. I got really worried that I was working against my goals. Glad to know running will help trim the extra layers off! What would you suggest drinking/eating after jogging/running?

Xiaolongbao

Running burns a lot of calories and is pretty convenient. I'm a swimmer by preference but I took up running as well because swimming is just nowhere near as easy to do (because you need a pool, swimmers, goggles etc).

Unless you are doing something pretty hardcore (which is unlikely if you're only just starting) drink water. Eat whatever is in your plans for the day. Protein is always good after exercise.

yiffanarff

It is my understanding that whenever you lose weight, you will lose both fat and muscle. Running is great cardio exercise, but for me, when I look a runner's bodies, it doesn't tend to be what I would describe as my goal body. (Everyone in my family has a tiny, flat butt...I'm working very hard to put some muscle on my rear, and I don't want to run it off!)

Everyone has different goals, but I would try to work in some weight lifting to your routine. Again, I'm not an expert, but it is my understanding that weight lifting helps to preserve muscle mass while you are eating at a deficit, so more of your loss will come from fat.

eta: I just saw that you plan to add in weight lifting. That's good! Don't be afraid to lift heavy!

Deedsie

I think that it really depends on how far you run and how often on if you are burning muscle. I am training for the Chicago marathon and I think I definitely have runs where I burn muscle as well as fat.

I don't want my BF% to increase and I want to build my speed so I have added 2-3 strength days a week. I have also noticed that I'm less likely to get injured this way. I think that running is awesome cardio but would not rely on it alone. I see it this way: cardio is water, I need it because I like to eat more calories than I could if I didn't do it and not gain weight, weights is food, I need it to keep going and stay strong. (It's an imperfect analogy but it's what I got.)

Gulzilly

I do a combination of exercises.
First, I wore an HRM all day to determine what my real daily burn was. I then used the data from the HRM to figure out my TDEE and at at a 500 cal deficit. On light workout days, I eat a lower amount than on hardcore workout days.

I also watch my macronutrients. On higher workout days, I eat more protein. My current protein breakdown is:
30% carbs, 35% protein, 35% fat

My workout schedule is:
1. 3x a week running
2. 2 days a week lifting/compound exercises
3. 3 days a week yoga(2 relaxing sessions, 1 heated sculpt class with weights)
4. 1 rest day a week

I drink a glass of OJ prior to a strenuous workout and at least 2 glasses of water before.
Good luck on your goals.

stubbysticks

Any time you do cardio and you're in a calorie deficit, you're going to burn some muscle mass along with fat. That's just how it is. You can minimize your loss of muscle mass by incorporating strength training (don't be afraid to lift heavy) and keeping your protein intake high. Yes, running will get you "in shape" but it depends on what shape you want to be. If you want shapely, defined muscle like a fitness model, then weight lifting is where it's at. Endurance activities like running won't develop the type of muscle definition it sounds like you want, & that has to do with the different types of muscle fibers that exist in your body. I won't go into too much detail, but the short version is that there are slow-twitch and fast-twitch fibers.

Slow-twitch fibers are the ones that support long periods of aerobic activity, like steady-state cardio. Muscles composed of primarily slow-twitch fibers are long and lean, contributing to the body type experienced marathoners typically have, as someone referenced above.

Fast-twitch fibers react quickly with bursts of strength but can't sustain the effort for long periods of time. This is the type of muscle developed by weight lifting when the weight is set at a challenging level and the sets are small, generally 12 reps or fewer. Sprinting also depends on these types of fibers, which is why when you look at Olympic sprinters, their muscle definition will look very different from a marathoner's. Serious marathoners strength train also, but their style of training is very different from someone looking to build muscle mass. Their sets will be lower-weight/higher reps to train their muscles for endurance vs. sheer strength, & their routines will include a lot of balance, flexibility, & plyometric exercises.

In general when women say they want to look "toned," they're referring to the shape created by targeting those fast-twitch fibers. It's not necessary to run if you want to lose weight, you can lose weight exclusively by lifting weights if you want to. I do both because I happen to like running.

Do you have access to a personal trainer? Even just a few sessions might do you some good, just so you can explain your goals to someone knowledgeable who can create the right program for you to meet those goals.

dsjohndrow

Running is one form of cardio - it's a goo one because it is cheap, can be done pretty much anywhere, and has a lifetime of challenges. It goes great with some strength training. If you are going to run, here are some suggestions:

- Get running shoes fitted at a running store.
- Try C25K to get going.
- Take it easy and don't get hurt.
- Have fun.

billsica

All fantastic advice. I think in the end we are all super complex organisms and you can't just pigeon hole into really anything.
Do what works for you, assess the results and re-evaluate.

twinmom_112002

I am currently reading racing weight. The thing that stands out to me for this discussion is that the book quotes study's showing that cardiac in a calorie deficit burns equal fat and muscle. To correct that you need to properly fuel the body. This includes carbs.

3dogsrunning

Losing weight = losing muscle mass. There are ways to minimize muscle mass, like getting the right macros, and strength training.
Running will create a calorie deficit if you are eating less than what you burn. I would suggest both running and weight training along with getting the right macros.

ETA - that is if you want to run. I am assuming you do based on the post, but running is not necessary.

jenniferrusso7393

THis is good info for people who have been running for years as well... I've been going for 3 years and didn't know this stuff-- thanks for the great info!

TastesLikeChicken

Probably depends on how far you ran. I like to eat something within 30 minutes if I've run long or hard. I like carbohydrates because it helps me keep from feeling whipped the rest of the day. Fruit is optimal, juice I think is better than a sports drink but I've had plenty of those too. Drink plenty of water. You might want to check out the web site for runners world. There is a lot of good information there. I subscribed for years but it seems there is only so much you can write about running and it starts to get repetitive. There will be a lot of books at your local library. When I started on my marathon quest I read everything I could find. It also helps with the motivation.

kuger4119

Lots of good comments. I will say that from personal experience, I lost muscle mass when I went from 177 lbs to 150 lbs when it was primarily cardio. I'd guess that I lost 17 lbs of fat and 10 lbs of muscle. It might have been closer to even than that. My biceps and legs were noticeably smaller after six months and not in entirely good ways. Mostly fat but definitely some muscle.

I now spend around 20 minutes doing cardio and 40 minutes lifting 3-5 times per week. I intentionally gained 10 lbs while lifting to try to regain some lean muscle mass and even though I'm far from getting big, I can see the improvement. In hindsight, I wish that I would have lifted more and kept my protein intake higher when I was losing my weight last year. I feel like I'm 6 months behind schedule on where I could have been.

I'm shooting for a leaner look so I don't lift as much as others might, so you need to tailor your workouts to your goals.

willow_rb

Bump for reference.

scottb81

The ones who say that running burns muscle mass to not understand the body's energy system.

Ignore everything they say concerning physical fitness.

kuger4119

The ones who say that running burns muscle mass to not understand the body's energy system.

Ignore everything they say concerning physical fitness.

A lot of it depends on how you work out. If you run long periods and raise your heart rate above 80%, the likelihood of burning muscle increases. You have to make sure that you are taking in enough protein if you are going to run hard to counteract the effects. I didn't know that last year and I most definitely lost muscle mass. I lost more fat than muscle though.