Does Cardio build muscle? Also do I....
dreamzvt
Posts: 96
So I have two questions,
1) Does cardio, such as using a treadmill or excercise bike build muscle?
2) Should I eat something right before doing cardio or right after? If so what?
1) Does cardio, such as using a treadmill or excercise bike build muscle?
2) Should I eat something right before doing cardio or right after? If so what?
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Replies
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Cardio will not build any meaningful muscle. I like to have a little bit of carbs 45min or so before doing any kind of workout.0
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No cardio does not really build muscle the way say HIIT or weights will, as for preworkout or post workout nutrition there are many mantras out there, I like to train fasted as I perform much stronger and more focused not eating anything about 4 hrs pre workout. Post workout is the ideal time to consume simple carbs to replace muscle glycogen as glut 4 receptors are at the muscle surface. This is why chocolate milk makes a good post workout drink.0
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Cardio CAN build muscle actually, but not like weight training. If you are someone who has not been exercising regularly and you begin a cardio routine, you will absolutely build muscle. Different types of cardio will work different muscles. For example, running will definitely tones quads, handstrings and calf muscles. This will be a long, lean kind of muscle. If you bicycle, you will build many muscles on the legs and glutes (butt) depending on the intensity of your workout. The elliptical trainer can tone quads, hamstrings, glutes and calves also depending on the intensity.
A good rule of thumb if you are working out on gym cardio machines, is to MIX IT UP. You do not want to hop on the stationary bike and ride at a level 3 for 30 minutes. You will burn some calories, but not really tone muscle. Ideally you want to Interval Train. This would look like planning on a moderate level 3 to warm up for 5 minutes. You would then turn up the tension on the bike to a 5 and do that for 10 minutes. Once you are good and warm you will then begin intervals. You would go up to a 7 for 30 seconds to 60 seconds and then down to a 4 or 5 to recover ror 2 minutes then back up to a 7 for 30-60 seconds then back down to a 4-5 to recover repeting this until you reach 26 minutes or so. You will then go back down to a 3 to cool down.
This is a rough idea of interval training where you up your intensity to a high level for a short period and then lower the intensity again to recover and then repeat over and over. You can do this type of thing on any cardio machine or even walking or jogging in your neighborhood. This type of workout blasts calories and keeps your body from plateauing.
Having said that, you should plan two to three days per week of 20 to 30 minutes of weight training. Building muscle will help raise your metabolism and prevent osteoporosis.
Good Luck!
Carrie
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No. If you could it would become anaerobic exercise instead of aerobic exercise.So I have two questions,
1) Does cardio, such as using a treadmill or excercise bike build muscle?
No real need to eat before or after.2) Should I eat something right before doing cardio or right after? If so what?
A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
While you may CONDITION the muscle from running or biking, if it's in an aerobic phase (unlike HIIT which is anaerobic) then the chance of building any muscle is almost impossible.Cardio CAN build muscle actually, but not like weight training. If you are someone who has not been exercising regularly and you begin a cardio routine, you will absolutely build muscle. Different types of cardio will work different muscles. For example, running will definitely tones quads, handstrings and calf muscles. This will be a long, lean kind of muscle. If you bicycle, you will build many muscles on the legs and glutes (butt) depending on the intensity of your workout. The elliptical trainer can tone quads, hamstrings, glutes and calves also depending on the intensity.
While intervals are great for conditioning and building muscle endurance, it's still not a muscle builder per se. To build muscle you need a couple of things. Calorie surplus and enough reps and sets with overload resistance to create muscle hypertrophy. If you don't have those, then then muscle building isn't likely.A good rule of thumb if you are working out on gym cardio machines, is to MIX IT UP. You do not want to hop on the stationary bike and ride at a level 3 for 30 minutes. You will burn some calories, but not really tone muscle. Ideally you want to Interval Train. This would look like planning on a moderate level 3 to warm up for 5 minutes. You would then turn up the tension on the bike to a 5 and do that for 10 minutes. Once you are good and warm you will then begin intervals. You would go up to a 7 for 30 seconds to 60 seconds and then down to a 4 or 5 to recover ror 2 minutes then back up to a 7 for 30-60 seconds then back down to a 4-5 to recover repeting this until you reach 26 minutes or so. You will then go back down to a 3 to cool down.
This is a rough idea of interval training where you up your intensity to a high level for a short period and then lower the intensity again to recover and then repeat over and over. You can do this type of thing on any cardio machine or even walking or jogging in your neighborhood. This type of workout blasts calories and keeps your body from plateauing.
Having said that, you should plan two to three days per week of 20 to 30 minutes of weight training. Building muscle will help raise your metabolism and prevent osteoporosis.
Good Luck!
Carrie
A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
Cardio will not build any meaningful muscle. I like to have a little bit of carbs 45min or so before doing any kind of workout.
yup, on both counts.0 -
When I began running, my legs got really toned. This was due to fat loss. I got no real muscle definition until I added in strength training. The upside to strength training as well was that I lost inches like crazy. I put on 10 lbs of muscle while dropping from a size 8 to a size 4. That is why I am adding in strength training as I work to lose the 20 lbs I have gained this year.0
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I was under the impression that cardio training burns the fat and strength training builds the muscles. Most building advice that I've received is that you cannot gain muscle whilst in calorie deficit. So, while you're in a calorie deficit and doing cardio, you're basically melting the fat away and some muscles may appear more defined as the fat layer around them is disappearing. The strength training you do mainly ensures that you don't LOSE muscle mass along with fat when you exercise.
It makes sense to me!0 -
Correct!I was under the impression that cardio training burns the fat and strength training builds the muscles. Most building advice that I've received is that you cannot gain muscle whilst in calorie deficit. So, while you're in a calorie deficit and doing cardio, you're basically melting the fat away and some muscles may appear more defined as the fat layer around them is disappearing. The strength training you do mainly ensures that you don't LOSE muscle mass along with fat when you exercise.
It makes sense to me!
A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
Then you are doing it right!!!When I began running, my legs got really toned. This was due to fat loss. I got no real muscle definition until I added in strength training. The upside to strength training as well was that I lost inches like crazy. I put on 10 lbs of muscle while dropping from a size 8 to a size 4. That is why I am adding in strength training as I work to lose the 20 lbs I have gained this year.
A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
When I began running, my legs got really toned. This was due to fat loss. I got no real muscle definition until I added in strength training. The upside to strength training as well was that I lost inches like crazy. I put on 10 lbs of muscle while dropping from a size 8 to a size 4. That is why I am adding in strength training as I work to lose the 20 lbs I have gained this year.
^THIS
I am doing this right now.0 -
Okay, you fitness gurus....if you take a muscle and put repeated force on it you're going to get some hypertrophy, are you not? I know it's not my imagination that I've seen cyclists with huge quads, and it's not from doing weights, it's from the resistance they get pedaling (especially hills). So it is possible to build muscle while doing cardio exercise, though it will be from the resistance. It just seems counterintuitive to say that you can't 'build' muscle while doing cardiovascular activity, though that's perhaps not the intended benefit of the exercise. Swimming would be another example. Yes I understand there is a threshold at which glycogen stores will bottom out and one becomes catabolic, but up to that point....?
Did I miss a page somewhere? :happy: Just trying to understand, so I'm happy to hear what's wrong about my pondering, if that's the case!0 -
Okay, you fitness gurus....if you take a muscle and put repeated force on it you're going to get some hypertrophy, are you not? I know it's not my imagination that I've seen cyclists with huge quads, and it's not from doing weights, it's from the resistance they get pedaling (especially hills). So it is possible to build muscle while doing cardio exercise, though it will be from the resistance. It just seems counterintuitive to say that you can't 'build' muscle while doing cardiovascular activity, though that's perhaps not the intended benefit of the exercise. Swimming would be another example. Yes I understand there is a threshold at which glycogen stores will bottom out and one becomes catabolic, but up to that point....?
Did I miss a page somewhere? :happy: Just trying to understand, so I'm happy to hear what's wrong about my pondering, if that's the case!
Interesting I'm a newbie to all of this so I'm just learning as I go 0 -
Aerobic exercise will induce changes in the oxidative muscle fibres, because these fibres are under oxidative stress they will adapt with increased mitochondria etc.. (http://jap.physiology.org/content/104/5/1436.full.pdf+html) Every muscle is always active, that is there is a base level of contraction at all times, working a muscle aerobically will increase that base level of contraction, which people refer to as tone, hence it may appear the muscle gets bigger.
There are 3 basic muscle fibre types (though in reality it gets a little more complicated)
Type 1 - slow oxidative - These muscles work in the presence of oxygen, these you use a lot of when running. The do not fatigue easily.
Type2a - Fast oxidative - These muscles work a little with and without oxygen, they fatigue more quickly than type 1
Type2b - Fast glycolytic - These muscles work when oxygen is not present in short sharp bursts. They fatigue easily.
The key is, the type of training you do will cause the body to adapt to aid that activity.
Having said that, there are some groups that may see muscle growth from cardio work, mainly if the muscle has atrophied.
(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2954235/) For instance this study showed muscle growth, but in a sample of elderly women.0 -
So a cyclist may be seeing hypertrophy of the type 2a fibres, though I would have to research that fiirst. But they also undergo short sprints which would increase type2b fibres for sure. All exercise really has components of strength, aerobic and anaerobic involved, so multiple changes would be seen. The body would adapt for the main activity performed. The adaptation would also depend on diet, a positive caloric intake and nitrogen levels among other variables.0
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no..resistence training and eating builds muscle.
while cardio doesnt 'burn' muscle, it does nothing to help maintain it. you need to lift and lift heavy especially when you are on a calorie deficit and doing cardio to lose fat..because your body will also take some of its energy from muscle tissue, hence breaking it down.
muscle needs calories for it to grow.0 -
So a cyclist may be seeing hypertrophy of the type 2a fibres, though I would have to research that fiirst. But they also undergo short sprints which would increase type2b fibres for sure. All exercise really has components of strength, aerobic and anaerobic involved, so multiple changes would be seen. The body would adapt for the main activity performed. The adaptation would also depend on diet, a positive caloric intake and nitrogen levels among other variables.
Very cool. Thanks. 0 -
Cardio CAN build muscle actually,
not really..
when a newbie starts a cardio session there may be some strength gains and very negligable muscle gains. i see some say that HIIT or sprinting type of workouts build more muscle..yes..but again negligable. look at long distance runners, they are very slim. do they have muscle 'tone' yes..but its due to very low body fat %. you can see, they do not have huge muscles. now you can say..well what about sprinters..ok..sprinters incorporate a strength training routine into their workouts. its a must to gain muscle. To really make gains in building muscle, you need what is called progressive overload. meaning you increase weights over time. Plus you need to feed the muscle. While cardio doesnt really catabolize muscle, it isnt condusive to building it. since our bodies are in different states (anareobic and aerobic). when doing cardio your body uses sugars for energy. first in the form of muscle glycogen and carbs then fat. fat is easy for your body to break down as energy, so that is usually its primary source. muscle is harder to break down, so your body doesnt like to do that. your body uses fat for energy, even when strength training, but fat doesnt turn into muscle. you need protein for that (basically). the reason you need to eat above maintenance to build muscle is because all the energy you intake and use even from fat is used to power your body and its metabolism. So in order to build something you need to eat more calories.0 -
If I'm running, every time I take a step, my leg is launching my entire body weight a few inches into the air. If I put a slope on the treadmill, I have to lift my body during the pass-through as well. It may be cardio, but at least some muscle groups are lifting, too. (And when I use the slope, I can feel which ones are going anaerobic, too.)0
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Well it depends. When you walk you put repeated force on your quads, glutes, hamstrings, and calves, but that doesn't cause hypertrophy. If the muscle is overloaded, then hypertrophy can occur.Okay, you fitness gurus....if you take a muscle and put repeated force on it you're going to get some hypertrophy, are you not?
I've seen cyclists with skinny legs too. Why don't they have big quads if the workout is the same?I know it's not my imagination that I've seen cyclists with huge quads, and it's not from doing weights, it's from the resistance they get pedaling (especially hills).
It's no longer cardio exercise if the resistance becomes an overload. The exercise becomes anaerobic at that point.So it is possible to build muscle while doing cardio exercise, though it will be from the resistance.
Sprinters build muscle through explosive work. Swimmers who compete are "sprinting" in the water. Speed skaters are also explosive. The common bond here is that when explosive training or work is being done, the work is anaerobic. You'll also notice that this explosiveness is NOT retained for hours but for a few seconds to a few minutes, whereas long distance cyclists, marathon runners, or any endurance athletics can go for an hour or more at the same pace, making the work aerobic. Cardio (in the sense we're talking here) is aerobic and not anaerobic.It just seems counterintuitive to say that you can't 'build' muscle while doing cardiovascular activity, though that's perhaps not the intended benefit of the exercise. Swimming would be another example. Yes I understand there is a threshold at which glycogen stores will bottom out and one becomes catabolic, but up to that point....?
Hopefully it's been cleared up.Did I miss a page somewhere? :happy: Just trying to understand, so I'm happy to hear what's wrong about my pondering, if that's the case!0 -
When I began running, my legs got really toned. This was due to fat loss. I got no real muscle definition until I added in strength training. The upside to strength training as well was that I lost inches like crazy. I put on 10 lbs of muscle while dropping from a size 8 to a size 4. That is why I am adding in strength training as I work to lose the 20 lbs I have gained this year.
^^^^ same here0 -
Cyclists go up and down various terrain requiring both endurance AND power. This is why cyclists have large quads and hams and marathon runners do not. Check out velodrome cyclists vs Tour De France cyclists.0
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