Supplements/Muscle Gains and increasing miles/ pace!
chelseapearl87
Posts: 9 Member
Hi guys! I began my weight loss journey as a walker, then I fell in love with running! I even got my long run(avg 8+ miles) pace to an 8 min mile! However, over the winter I focused mostly on weight training (to help with my loose skin) and only ran on average 1-3 miles a day at a 10/12 min mile.. I want to get back into it, but I am afraid to loose all of the muscle gains I had made. Anyone have any experiance keeping muscle while upping the cardio? And what Kind of food/suplements do you use during your run to stay energized and at which miles? My Goal is to get my long run to 10miles and my pace back to 8. Thanks guys!!!
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You sound a lot like me. During the Winter my running takes a bit of a dive and I do more strength training. I actually find when I incorporate strength training, my running improves (endurance, not fatigued as quickly, etc). I'd suggest just slowly increasing your miles over a few weeks to get back to where you were. I would also suggest still keeping 2 or 3 cross training strength days if you can handle it. I find this balance works well for me and I don't lose as much muscle from straight up running.
As far as fuel during runs, I like the Stringer energy chews a lot. Not too sweet, not too sticky and goes easy on my stomach. Other things I've tried haven't worked out quite as well. If you're looking for real food alternatives, I've had relative success with gummy bears, pretzel M&Ms and tortillas. (I know, weird.) I tend to fuel early on if I'm running 10+ miles, otherwise I find a sort of take a dive. I know others here will suggest not fueling on long runs to train your body to be able to go farther and longer on empty.
Happy running!0 -
I don't get why people think distance running eats away at your muscles. I've gained 10 pounds in muscle from distance running... I don't eat anything when I run. You don't need anything food wise to run 10 miles. I run 10 miles at 8 min pace also every day with no food or water. I feel like I have a decent amount of muscle. I don't think my body resorts to eating my muscle when I run.. If it did, I would have been dead a long time ago..0
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Eat a lot. Continue juggling your strength training with your running. As you increase workload it'll take a few weeks of adaptation. Your runs and lifting may take a small hit, but stick with them.
I think that the whole cardio/muscle loss can be overblown at times. Strength train and eat enough & you'll have no worries.0 -
I think Rybo hit it on the head. The tricky part will be eating enough to maintain weight without eating to much. If you are eating a balanced diet you should not need supplements.0
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I think Rybo hit it on the head. The tricky part will be eating enough to maintain weight without eating to much. If you are eating a balanced diet you should not need supplements.
I agree with that.0 -
I think Rybo hit it on the head. The tricky part will be eating enough to maintain weight without eating to much. If you are eating a balanced diet you should not need supplements.
+1. If you are eating enough, you will not lose muscle. Strength training helps too.0 -
Thanks alot guys, I appreciate all of the input!0
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Eat a lot. Continue juggling your strength training with your running. As you increase workload it'll take a few weeks of adaptation. Your runs and lifting may take a small hit, but stick with them.
I think that the whole cardio/muscle loss can be overblown at times. Strength train and eat enough & you'll have no worries.
Another vote for ^0 -
I am a big believer in eating real food, but I do take an omega-3 supplement and sometimes put protein in smoothies. I find the smoothies can be a good pick me up with berries and frozen bananas yogurt and protein. I have trouble getting that post-lift/workout meal in sometimes, so this works for me. I also agree that the muscle loss thing feels like a myth.0
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I am a big believer in eating real food, but I do take an omega-3 supplement and sometimes put protein in smoothies. I find the smoothies can be a good pick me up with berries and frozen bananas yogurt and protein. I have trouble getting that post-lift/workout meal in sometimes, so this works for me. I also agree that the muscle loss thing feels like a myth.
I don't think I'd go so far as to say it's a myth. I think there are a lot of runners who neglect strength work and adequate protein and end up losing some strength/muscle. But I think the fact that it's necessary to go catabolic while endurance training is a myth. Finding the balance between strength training and endurance training and finding the sweet spot for your macros is a very individual thing but through trial and error it's totally doable.0 -
I experienced a horrible loss of muscle while training for my last marathon on a vegan diet. Looking back at my food logs, I can see that I rarely ate enough protein even though my caloric intake was good. This time, I'm paying attention and making sure to eat enough protein and I haven't noticed any loss of muscle. (Not dissing the vegan diet here, just saying I didn't eat right.)0
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I am a big believer in eating real food, but I do take an omega-3 supplement and sometimes put protein in smoothies. I find the smoothies can be a good pick me up with berries and frozen bananas yogurt and protein. I have trouble getting that post-lift/workout meal in sometimes, so this works for me. I also agree that the muscle loss thing feels like a myth.
I don't think I'd go so far as to say it's a myth. I think there are a lot of runners who neglect strength work and adequate protein and end up losing some strength/muscle. But I think the fact that it's necessary to go catabolic while endurance training is a myth. Finding the balance between strength training and endurance training and finding the sweet spot for your macros is a very individual thing but through trial and error it's totally doable.
I agree with this. I know many distance runners who never lift or some that do lift but they eat like 1200-1800 calories a day and run 40+ miles a week. Not a good combination if you want to maintain your muscle weight... My brother would be a shining example of this.0 -
Congrats on your weight loss!!
One of my goals is to finish a half marathon in two hours or less so I do a lot of sprints, fartleks, and hills on my runs. My speed is getting better too with this. I also do some strength training three days a week. I don't use any supplements however I'm thinking they could help but I have yet to try any. Still doing some research on all that's out there and available. I do however keep my protein high and always drink a protein shake after a run or lifting session. You should be fine as long you get enough protein.0 -
I've got both sides of the coin covered.
During Jan-March I did a ton of lifting while running 20-25 miles a week, lost a pound or three and went from over 9% body fat to just under 8%. Definitely improved my tone and build during that period.
Then in the Spring I focused on running and I went from 8% BF to 11% BF while losing a pound from Early March through last week. I was PURELY running, ~30 miles a week. Definitely killed off muscle. So I'm back to cross training: lifting in the morning, running in the evening. The cross-training and extra stretching is good for my running anyway.
So in short, like everyone else says. Cross-train, and eat your food! Seriously, I'm averaging over 3500 calories a day... granted I'm a giant lol.0 -
I agree, myth maybe too much of a word. I think I just feel so anti-"skinny fat" thing recently ...I seem to read at least once a day about it around here. Might also be that I just don't know any endurance runners who only run ...stick with that good balance!
Eta: not that I read it here on this particular board0
