Cardio progress and diminishing returns

Options
Francl27
Francl27 Posts: 26,372 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I've noticed something with cardio... it seems the more progress I make, the harder it is, the less difference it makes.

For example... I use a stationary bike, typically for 45 minutes. I used to do 10 miles in that time, burning 180 calories (HRM). Now I do 12 miles, and I burn 200 calories... so 20% more effort, but I don't get 20% extra calories.

Or using the treadmill - walking 3.5 mph with an incline. One hour at 8% and I get 480 calories, but one hour at 9% and I only got 510 calories. Ok, those are the machine numbers, so I know they are not accurate, but still, it makes me wonder... is it worth it to keep trying to go faster/increase the incline, if all it's going to do is making me more exhausted/hungrier but not give me that many extra calories? It was quite harder for me with that extra 1% incline.

Ok, I know, exercise is about health and fitness, but at this point my fitness is just fine and I'm mostly doing it so I can eat more... even though it's kinda nice when I see that I can do better, except when I raid the kitchen later because I'm hungry.

Just wondering what's everyone's experience with that is (please, don't mention lifting, this post is about cardio, lol).

Replies

  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,590 MFP Moderator
    Options
    It might be worth playing with meal timing to see if that helps with the hungry part? Sometimes eating or drinking a few calories after tough exercise can help keep you from going crazy later.

  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    edited May 2015
    Options
    Francl27 wrote: »
    I've noticed something with cardio... it seems the more progress I make, the harder it is, the less difference it makes.

    For example... I use a stationary bike, typically for 45 minutes. I used to do 10 miles in that time, burning 180 calories (HRM). Now I do 12 miles, and I burn 200 calories... so 20% more effort, but I don't get 20% extra calories.

    Your calories per mile on a stationary bike - assuming you aren't changing resistance etc - won't change meaningfully. Ditto for treadmill.

    What your HRM is really telling you is (a) the earlier numbers were over-estimates and (b) your fitness level is improving. Way to go, you! :drinker:
  • teacton11
    teacton11 Posts: 65 Member
    Options
    Diminishing returns? So wait, you are upset that your cardiovascular system is improving? I think you need to think of it less in terms of calories and more in terms of your risk of one of the top killers (cardiovascular disease) has been reduced.

    If all you care about is calories then the most effective way is to not put it in your mouth the first place.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
    Options
    You should realise that HRMs don't actually measure calories.

    Your fitness level is improving so that is nothing but good news.
    My suggestion is find some cardio where you can both enjoy it and push yourself harder.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    Options
    If you are only wanting calorie burns you need to mix it up. Try doing circuits (slow, medium and fast) minutes... challenge yourself by increasing the levels. And change up the inclines... You set your goals and determine how fast, slow and how far you want to travel on these machines..

    I echo those that say you are now improving your fitness levels and cardiovascular health..And this upsets you?

    No pixie dust in the cardio machines..
  • shelbygeorge29
    shelbygeorge29 Posts: 263 Member
    Options
    More cardio is not always better. Extreme exercise does ramp up your appetite, but unfortunately the caloric expenditure rarely makes up for the extra eating.

    There's a saying that is something to the effect of very little eating can undue a lot of work at the gym. I also like, you lose pounds in the kitchen and inches at the gym.

    Look into HIIT, high intensity interval training. Delivers greater calorie burn and improves cardio fitness level.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
    Options
    shelbygeorge29 wrote: »
    Extreme exercise

    I wouldn't call less than an hour of moderate intensity effort particularly extreme.

  • shelbygeorge29
    shelbygeorge29 Posts: 263 Member
    Options
    You're correct, an hour of cardio is not extreme.

    The point I was trying to make was increasing cardio isn't this magic bullet. You can't grind it out to drop big pounds if diet isn't great and the extra exercise does make you hungry.

    The poster's title is indeed correct. Diminishing returns...sucks doesn't it!
  • sympha01
    sympha01 Posts: 942 Member
    Options
    I've been dropping weight for a long time and while it's slow now, I have found that my mental health was much improved when I stopped tracking exercise calories. IMO trying to estimate calories earned from a specific workout is a sucker's game, HRM or no. I use my HRM as it was intended: as a tool to optimize my training and to monitor my fitness progress. I personally can't imagine anything short of professional athlete level where I'd say "thatz okay, I'm fit enough, I don't want to improve any more."

    Fuel properly for your exercise, of course. It sounds like you exercise consistently anyway, so you probably have a pretty good sense of how much you should be eating to achieve the loss rate you're targeting, and as that changes over time you'll notice. It's like flying an airplane (I imagine): if you're doing everything right nothing changes on a dime, so make small corrections as needed based on results.

Categories