Can you do too much cardio?

jtr357
jtr357 Posts: 45 Member
edited November 12 in Fitness and Exercise
Hi everyone,I'm wondering if it's possible to do too much cardio.If so,how much is too much?
I started out early last Summer & I could only do 15min of cardio at the most.
This past Fall I got up to 60min.I was so proud of myself for getting up to a full hour.I've been pushing myself & I'm almost up to 80min(77min this morning) & I'm noticing some pain for the first time.Nothing major,just some mild cramping & soreness.I'm wondering if I may be doing more harm than good.My goal is to burn 2000 calories a day doing cardio.I burned approx. 1,254 cals this morning.
I can't lift weights for awhile because I hurt my shoulder so I'm trying to make up for the loss with extra cardio.Also I stretch for 5-10min before & after I workout & I make sure I'm properly hydrated throughout my session.
I remember reading somewhere that too much cardio can be detrimental to your health,but can't remember any other details.

Thanks for any helpful advice you can provide.
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Replies

  • wrecktechno
    wrecktechno Posts: 145 Member
    Do lower body exercises instead. Squats, lunges, sit ups. I think you ARE doing too much. 2000 calories a day is a lot - why do you want to burn that much? All you'll do is burn yourself out. It's not sustainable. If you have pain, you need to slow down. and yeh, too much cardio can have a negative effect - I don't know specifics either but Ill try find some research
  • wrecktechno
    wrecktechno Posts: 145 Member
    Do a google search for 'too much cardio + research'. It seems from a lot of the hits that too much cardio is detrimental - read only reputable websites as there's a lot of heresay and crap on the internet pushing false information. You can't cheat the system by doing excessive amounts thinking that it'll help. Weight loss is a slow process (I assume that's what you're going for).
  • jtr357
    jtr357 Posts: 45 Member
    Thank you wrecktechno.I appreciate your advice.
    I'll start doing some lunges & squats.Maybe some ab exercises too.I'm trying to lose 2lbs a week.It's hard though.Sometimes I don't lose anything or maybe a half a pound or something.It's frustrating to say the least.I do have a habit of overdoing everything I get into.
  • alysme
    alysme Posts: 81 Member
    Can you do less time but more intense?
    Instead of running at a steady pace, sprint between every third lamp post (or for 30secs every 2mins on the treadmill)
    Add some hills/incline etc
    Something like this http://www.popsugar.com/fitness/Fat-Blasting-Interval-Treadmill-Workout-32374646

    Isn't 2000cals almost a 20mile run?!
  • jtr357
    jtr357 Posts: 45 Member
    I do most of all my cardio on an exercise bike with the tension at about 3/4.I can't run because of bad knees & lower back.
  • jtr357
    jtr357 Posts: 45 Member
    Yes it is about 20mi on the bike,alysme.
  • SamanthaRMichel
    SamanthaRMichel Posts: 18 Member
    Your body also can get use to workouts. I would vary it up, maybe through in some core strengthening to help with your back. If you do decide to do lower body workouts (and any workout) use good form. Very important!
  • jtr357
    jtr357 Posts: 45 Member
    Yes thanks Samantha.I know about good form.It's the reason I tore both my rotator cuffs.I'm extremely careful now.
  • cplate
    cplate Posts: 16 Member
    Why not add in some other machines .... rowing, aero bike and body weight exercises - burpees , mt. climbers, speed skates, kettle bell swings. All of these are good short burst of cardio. You can switch it up and do sets of exercises and do 20-30 seconds on with a 10 second break...
  • jtr357
    jtr357 Posts: 45 Member
    I have to stick with lower body workouts for now,until my shoulder is feeling better,or until after my surgery,cplate.I do some aerobics to mix it up some.
  • wrecktechno
    wrecktechno Posts: 145 Member
    cplate wrote: »
    Why not add in some other machines .... rowing, aero bike and body weight exercises - burpees , mt. climbers, speed skates, kettle bell swings. All of these are good short burst of cardio. You can switch it up and do sets of exercises and do 20-30 seconds on with a 10 second break...

    These all involve using his hurt shoulder. Best he avoids them for now, but once his shoulder is healed then they're great
  • jtr357
    jtr357 Posts: 45 Member
    Thanks for the replies everyone.I was mostly looking for an explanation of what happens if you do too much cardio & why it's detrimental.I'll just look it up.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    edited February 2015
    jtr357 wrote: »
    My goal is to burn 2000 calories a day doing cardio.I burned approx. 1,254 cals this morning.

    Your burn estimates are overblown. Like...WAY...overblown.

    Tour de France level riders don't burn that many calories, that quickly.

    Cut your number by 65%, for starters.


  • jtr357
    jtr357 Posts: 45 Member
    Okay thanks Mr.Knight
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
    jtr357 wrote: »
    I remember reading somewhere that too much cardio can be detrimental to your health,but can't remember any other details.

    That's nonsense, however without a specific objective it sounds as if you're reaching the limits of what's useful. Sounds like you appreciate that you need to balance resistance and CV work, so it's a question of finding some way to do enough resistance work whilst you're injured. As upthread, focus on legs and core.

    The point about the volume of CV work is that you're not doing much. I'm a long distance runner, so for me doing 3-4 hours of training has a purpose, equally some of my sessions are fairly short. For a short session I'll do higher intensity work to improve lactate threshold performance or VO2Max, whereas the LSD runs are about aerobic base and training the system to perform whilst fatigued. You don't seem to need that sort of training, so keep your sessions shorter, but up the intensity.
  • 47Jacqueline
    47Jacqueline Posts: 6,993 Member
    You can do too much of anything. I take a lot of classes as well as teach group fitness and I try to balance out cardio and strength. I've also learned to take days off to recover. Overtraining is dangerous to your health.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
    jtr357 wrote: »
    Yes it is about 20mi on the bike,alysme.

    You're doubling the likely actual calorie expenditure there.
    About 20 miles will give me about 1000 cals on the bike.
  • funchords
    funchords Posts: 413 Member
    jtr357 wrote: »
    Hi everyone,I'm wondering if it's possible to do too much cardio.If so,how much is too much?.
    My advice is not to do anything you won't do long term. Picture your life 5 years after you've met your goals. What is your exercise then? Do that exercise now.

    Otherwise, your weight will yo-yo down and then back up.
  • funchords
    funchords Posts: 413 Member
    jtr357 wrote: »
    My goal is to burn 2000 calories a day doing cardio.

    In addition to fat, you will burn protein and lean tissue. Stop, but even if you ignore the advice, you're going to hit a physiological wall soon enough and that will stop you.
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    jtr357 wrote: »
    I do most of all my cardio on an exercise bike with the tension at about 3/4.I can't run because of bad knees & lower back.

    I think that if you know you have a bad back, knees, and shoulder, you should be kind to your body, because maybe it's vulnerable. (Speaking from experience.) Do less cardio and do it moderately, I would say, and try to make up the difference with diet, using the 1-2 lb/week setting. Even if you've got a lot to lose, that's what's most sustainable all around.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    Can you do too much cardio?


    Sure.
    Will some rando on mfp who is 20#+ overweight do too much cardio? Probably not.
  • SonicDeathMonkey80
    SonicDeathMonkey80 Posts: 4,489 Member
    No way in hell are you burning 2000+ cals on a 20mi exercise bike ride
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    SonicDeathMonkey80 wrote: »
    No way in hell are you burning 2000+ cals on a 20mi exercise bike ride
    and yeah, no way in hell he's burning that in 80 minutes.
  • llUndecidedll
    llUndecidedll Posts: 724 Member
    I do a lot of cardio. Have been doing so for about six months and I haven't noticed any issues. For example, I would burn a calorie reading total of about 1300- 2200 calories a day on the treadmill. Sometimes I would focus on just miles (10 miles a day), sometimes speed, sometimes just burning calories.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    So you'd be going between 13 and 20 miles on the treadmill each day?

    Yeah...
  • llUndecidedll
    llUndecidedll Posts: 724 Member
    Well. If I'm focusing on calories I would walk 5 miles at 3 mph, 10% incline-- this gives me about 1300 calories (treadmill calorie reading)-- as one workout. Then I would do something similar again later that day until I reach the number of calories I want. Which is the total cut in half. So 2000 calories is documented as 1000 calories for me. This is how I've been creating my deficit.

  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    That's not how this works.

    A mile walked is about 100 calories, maybe as high as 120-130 for the very large folks. 3mph is a fairly leisurely stroll.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    edited February 2015
    llUndecidedll wrote: »
    Well. If I'm focusing on calories I would walk 5 miles at 3 mph, 10% incline-- this gives me about 1300 calories (treadmill calorie reading)-- as one workout.

    Your profile says you're around 225 pounds. 5 flat miles walking at that weight is about 400 calories (and 100 minutes of time - well done on the time commitment!)

    The rule of thumb for elevation changes is roughly 1 calorie burned for 100kg going up 1 metre. Since this is a treadmill, the 10% incline becomes an 8% incline and then that gets cut in half to estimate climbing an actual road. So a 4% grade over 5 miles is an elevation change of about...350m. So call it 350 extra calories for the climb.

    So your machine is over-estimating, but nowhere near as bad as the OP.
  • Springfield1970
    Springfield1970 Posts: 1,945 Member
    edited February 2015
    You need to slow down my friend and treat your body with love and respect.
    The worst way to lose weight at your size and level of fitness is by intense sports.
    You should be concentrating on the calorie deficit from the food angle.
    Go back to a place where you aren't injuring yourself, lose the fat, hold on to the muscle by eating enough protein and weight training.

    Only train like an athlete when you body fat is healthy, your weight is appropriate to the sport you are doing, and you are eating at maintenance or very very close to it. Bodies get injured and before you know it, you're on rest, physio bills and demotivated.
  • DvlDwnInGA
    DvlDwnInGA Posts: 368 Member
    Love the enthusiasm, but why not slow down and adjust your calorie goal back where you lose 2 pounds a week without needing to do 2000 calorie a day deficit? Are you going to do that much cardio forever? If not, you need to learn how to eat within your calorie range, do a mix of weight training and some cardio on your non weight training days and lose weight. Right now the only reason you would need to do that much cardio is because you are overeating.

    How you are going right now, is a recipe for burnout. Long term success doing this is what you are after. This isn't a race, it is a way to learn to eat correctly and get yourself active in things you enjoy and will continue to do for a lifetime.
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