Running and burning muscle question!

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How long do you have to run before burning muscle? Or what kind of distance will burn muscle and not fat? Thanks!
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  • Athena413
    Athena413 Posts: 1,709 Member
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    It has more to do with your heart rate than distance. If you've crossed the threshold into anaerobic exercise (above your target heart rate zone) you could begin to burn muscle instead of fat. Find your target heart rate zone and stay in it to ensure that you're burning fat and not muscle. That goes for any cardio activity.
  • Athena413
    Athena413 Posts: 1,709 Member
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    There's probably a nutritional side of it, too - if you haven't fueled properly your body is going to go to the quickest source of fuel, whatever that may be. I don't know as much about that, though.
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
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    Fat burning zone and fitness zone are basically myths.. Any type of cardio is going to burn muscle and fat no matter what you do, how long you do it, etc.

    To prevent this, you need to lift weights and do cardio.. that will help preserve the muscle that you already have, and help burn mainly fat.
  • AZTrailRunner
    AZTrailRunner Posts: 1,199 Member
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    Fat burning zone and fitness zone are basically myths.. Any type of cardio is going to burn muscle and fat no matter what you do, how long you do it, etc.

    I would love to see some documentation to support this claim. I keep reading different opinions on this forum without any scientific articles to support the claims.

    Everything I've ever read claims that muscle will be reserved for fuel in the anaerobic zone, and also in the aerobic zone when glycogen has been depleted.
  • JamesBurkes
    JamesBurkes Posts: 382 Member
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    No studies, just experience. But as someone who runs and lifts for size I don't think you have anything to worry about as long as you continue to lift heavy, eat enough protein, get enough rest, aren't in a major calorie deficit and aren't doing enormous amounts of running.

    I can't see any problems with running for 60 minutes or more 3-4 times a week as long as the above factors are borne in mind. Now maybe if you were training for a marathon, things may be different. But sometimes I think we can all get too wrapped up in the minutiae of research studies and start worrying about factors that are really insignificant to our progress as non-athletes. Let's face it, 99% of the people on this site are "keep-fitters." What applies to us is very different to what applies to pro-athletes. If you were running ten + miles a time at 6 minute mile pace or something, then yes - maybe you'd be losing muscle. But for those of us who just hit the weights hard then venture out for a 5 mile run a few times a week, I really don't think it's an issue.
  • Kimblesnbits
    Kimblesnbits Posts: 321 Member
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    Fat burning zone and fitness zone are basically myths.. Any type of cardio is going to burn muscle and fat no matter what you do, how long you do it, etc.

    This can't be true for me at least! I've built muscle doing only cardio like the stair climber etc. without doing weights before!
  • UponThisRock
    UponThisRock Posts: 4,522 Member
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    If you're eating enough calories and protein, and doing strength training, you shouldn't be losing much muscle.
  • JRhinoC
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    Fat burning zone and fitness zone are basically myths.. Any type of cardio is going to burn muscle and fat no matter what you do, how long you do it, etc.

    To prevent this, you need to lift weights and do cardio.. that will help preserve the muscle that you already have, and help burn mainly fat.

    Yay for misinformation.

    No, they aren't myth. The math behind them is skewed, but the concept of staying within a specific heart rate is sound.
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
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    Fat burning zone and fitness zone are basically myths.. Any type of cardio is going to burn muscle and fat no matter what you do, how long you do it, etc.

    This can't be true for me at least! I've build muscle doing only cardio like the stair climber etc. without doing weights before!

    Your not building muscle.. It takes a calorie surplus and heavy weights to build muscle.

    You may be burning off the fat so the muscle shows more, but you are not building muscle by any means..

    Do a fourm search for building muscle.. you'll see what i mean.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    Sorry to hijack, but...

    I understand the protein/nutritional side of this conversation, but why does lifting help prevent muscle burn during cardio workouts?
  • JRhinoC
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    Fat burning zone and fitness zone are basically myths.. Any type of cardio is going to burn muscle and fat no matter what you do, how long you do it, etc.

    This can't be true for me at least! I've build muscle doing only cardio like the stair climber etc. without doing weights before!

    Your not building muscle.. It takes a calorie surplus and heavy weights to build muscle.

    You may be burning off the fat so the muscle shows more, but you are not building muscle by any means..

    Do a fourm search for building muscle.. you'll see what i mean.

    Yay, more misinformation.

    Building muscle does NOT require a surplus, it requires proper nutrition, which can be achieved on a a deficit.

    And heavy weights, do you know what a stair climber is? Every time you step up you're lifting the majority of your body weight, I would call that a significant weight.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    Building muscle does NOT require a surplus, it requires proper nutrition, which can be achieved on a a deficit.
    Before I object, are you saying this is the case for most people most of the time, or only under ideal conditions/certain types of people/etc?
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
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    Fat burning zone and fitness zone are basically myths.. Any type of cardio is going to burn muscle and fat no matter what you do, how long you do it, etc.

    This can't be true for me at least! I've build muscle doing only cardio like the stair climber etc. without doing weights before!

    Your not building muscle.. It takes a calorie surplus and heavy weights to build muscle.

    You may be burning off the fat so the muscle shows more, but you are not building muscle by any means..

    Do a fourm search for building muscle.. you'll see what i mean.

    Yay, more misinformation.

    Building muscle does NOT require a surplus, it requires proper nutrition, which can be achieved on a a deficit.

    And heavy weights, do you know what a stair climber is? Every time you step up you're lifting the majority of your body weight, I would call that a significant weight.

    Coming from the person who has 15 posts Vs The person who has 1,700..

    If your so smart and I'm so misinformed, then how come you don't post anything that supports what you claim?

    Like I said, do a forum search.. Read, and then realize how stupid you really sound.
  • gashinshotan
    gashinshotan Posts: 753 Member
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    Good info here for people who want to burn muscle too.... I want to do marathoning rest of my life so don't want or need big upper body...
  • Kimblesnbits
    Kimblesnbits Posts: 321 Member
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    Fat burning zone and fitness zone are basically myths.. Any type of cardio is going to burn muscle and fat no matter what you do, how long you do it, etc.

    This can't be true for me at least! I've build muscle doing only cardio like the stair climber etc. without doing weights before!

    Your not building muscle.. It takes a calorie surplus and heavy weights to build muscle.

    You may be burning off the fat so the muscle shows more, but you are not building muscle by any means..

    Do a fourm search for building muscle.. you'll see what i mean.

    Yay, more misinformation.

    Building muscle does NOT require a surplus, it requires proper nutrition, which can be achieved on a a deficit.

    And heavy weights, do you know what a stair climber is? Every time you step up you're lifting the majority of your body weight, I would call that a significant weight.

    Coming from the person who has 15 posts Vs The person who has 1,700..

    If your so smart and I'm so misinformed, then how come you don't post anything that supports what you claim?

    Like I said, do a forum search.. Read, and then realize how stupid you really sound.

    Dang! Didn't think it would turn into this!
  • JRhinoC
    Options
    Fat burning zone and fitness zone are basically myths.. Any type of cardio is going to burn muscle and fat no matter what you do, how long you do it, etc.

    This can't be true for me at least! I've build muscle doing only cardio like the stair climber etc. without doing weights before!

    Your not building muscle.. It takes a calorie surplus and heavy weights to build muscle.

    You may be burning off the fat so the muscle shows more, but you are not building muscle by any means..

    Do a fourm search for building muscle.. you'll see what i mean.

    Yay, more misinformation.

    Building muscle does NOT require a surplus, it requires proper nutrition, which can be achieved on a a deficit.

    And heavy weights, do you know what a stair climber is? Every time you step up you're lifting the majority of your body weight, I would call that a significant weight.

    Coming from the person who has 15 posts Vs The person who has 1,700..

    If your so smart and I'm so misinformed, then how come you don't post anything that supports what you claim?

    Like I said, do a forum search.. Read, and then realize how stupid you really sound.

    Posting on an internet forum somehow makes you an expert?

    And I'll skip the forum search thank you, I prefer actual research.

    http://www.livestrong.com/article/362906-can-you-build-muscle-on-a-calorie-deficit/
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
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    Fat burning zone and fitness zone are basically myths.. Any type of cardio is going to burn muscle and fat no matter what you do, how long you do it, etc.

    This can't be true for me at least! I've build muscle doing only cardio like the stair climber etc. without doing weights before!

    Your not building muscle.. It takes a calorie surplus and heavy weights to build muscle.

    You may be burning off the fat so the muscle shows more, but you are not building muscle by any means..

    Do a fourm search for building muscle.. you'll see what i mean.

    Yay, more misinformation.

    Building muscle does NOT require a surplus, it requires proper nutrition, which can be achieved on a a deficit.

    And heavy weights, do you know what a stair climber is? Every time you step up you're lifting the majority of your body weight, I would call that a significant weight.

    Coming from the person who has 15 posts Vs The person who has 1,700..

    If your so smart and I'm so misinformed, then how come you don't post anything that supports what you claim?

    Like I said, do a forum search.. Read, and then realize how stupid you really sound.

    Posting on an internet forum somehow makes you an expert?

    And I'll skip the forum search thank you, I prefer actual research.

    http://www.livestrong.com/article/362906-can-you-build-muscle-on-a-calorie-deficit/

    Right... and since OP is not over weight, is not weight training consistently, and (I assume on this) not consuming that much protein stated in the article, then she's not building muscle on calorie deficit..

    Nice try Sparky, but I'll go with what I've read and learned from people on the forums who have a lot more credibility in my eyes then you do
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
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    Coming from the person who has 15 posts Vs The person who has 1,700..
    Wow, seriously? What does this have to do with anything?
  • Kimblesnbits
    Kimblesnbits Posts: 321 Member
    Options
    Fat burning zone and fitness zone are basically myths.. Any type of cardio is going to burn muscle and fat no matter what you do, how long you do it, etc.

    This can't be true for me at least! I've build muscle doing only cardio like the stair climber etc. without doing weights before!

    Your not building muscle.. It takes a calorie surplus and heavy weights to build muscle.

    You may be burning off the fat so the muscle shows more, but you are not building muscle by any means..

    Do a fourm search for building muscle.. you'll see what i mean.

    Yay, more misinformation.

    Building muscle does NOT require a surplus, it requires proper nutrition, which can be achieved on a a deficit.

    And heavy weights, do you know what a stair climber is? Every time you step up you're lifting the majority of your body weight, I would call that a significant weight.

    Coming from the person who has 15 posts Vs The person who has 1,700..

    If your so smart and I'm so misinformed, then how come you don't post anything that supports what you claim?

    Like I said, do a forum search.. Read, and then realize how stupid you really sound.

    Posting on an internet forum somehow makes you an expert?

    And I'll skip the forum search thank you, I prefer actual research.

    http://www.livestrong.com/article/362906-can-you-build-muscle-on-a-calorie-deficit/

    Right... and since OP is not over weight, is not weight training consistently, and (I assume on this) not consuming that much protein stated in the article, then she's not building muscle on calorie deficit..

    Nice try Sparky, but I'll go with what I've read and learned from people on the forums who have a lot more credibility in my eyes then you do

    I weight train about 2 times a week (probably not "consistently" enough to some people?) and run about 5 to 6 times a week 3 to 4.5 miles per run, am I burning muscle or fat?!
  • JRhinoC
    Options
    Fat burning zone and fitness zone are basically myths.. Any type of cardio is going to burn muscle and fat no matter what you do, how long you do it, etc.

    This can't be true for me at least! I've build muscle doing only cardio like the stair climber etc. without doing weights before!

    Your not building muscle.. It takes a calorie surplus and heavy weights to build muscle.

    You may be burning off the fat so the muscle shows more, but you are not building muscle by any means..

    Do a fourm search for building muscle.. you'll see what i mean.

    Yay, more misinformation.

    Building muscle does NOT require a surplus, it requires proper nutrition, which can be achieved on a a deficit.

    And heavy weights, do you know what a stair climber is? Every time you step up you're lifting the majority of your body weight, I would call that a significant weight.

    Coming from the person who has 15 posts Vs The person who has 1,700..

    If your so smart and I'm so misinformed, then how come you don't post anything that supports what you claim?

    Like I said, do a forum search.. Read, and then realize how stupid you really sound.

    Posting on an internet forum somehow makes you an expert?

    And I'll skip the forum search thank you, I prefer actual research.

    http://www.livestrong.com/article/362906-can-you-build-muscle-on-a-calorie-deficit/

    Right... and since OP is not over weight, is not weight training consistently, and (I assume on this) not consuming that much protein stated in the article, then she's not building muscle on calorie deficit..

    Nice try Sparky, but I'll go with what I've read and learned from people on the forums who have a lot more credibility in my eyes then you do


    And what exactly is the OPs deficit and protein intake? I don't recall seeing it mentioned.

    And all that wonderful stuff you've learned on these forums, the vast majority of it is wrong. There are a few here who know what they're talking about, but most continue to post inaccurate information and pass it off as fact, claiming to have read it here. See where this is going...