Aerobic exercise can be scary for people and gals looking to build serious muscle. After all, the idea of killing cardio has been flowing around the weight room for years. So, if you’re trying to build muscle, is it a bad thing to do cardio?
Answer: Only if you do that the wrong way. Read on and read how to avoid messing up your muscle benefits.
Does aerobic exercise lose muscle?
There are several ways that aerobic exercise can hinder your benefits:
Same day training
If you tackle aerobic exercise and strength in the same training session, your body will not be able to adapt to either activity.
“The goal of exercise is to stimulate and adapt to the body,” says DPT, ATC, CSC, William P. Kelly, “To maintain the benefits of muscle and aerobic exercise, you need to give these adjustment times and food before throwing another stimulus.”
In other words, if you lift it heavily and then head out for a run, your body will rule out strength training adaptation to promote your run.
Switching that would probably be useless either. Doing cardio before strength training can tire you out and lift you up how much (and how difficult it is) in the end.
In fact, research Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research When a group of healthy men did aerobic exercise before strength training, they found that they had less repetition, less muscle strength, and experienced an increase in perceived exercise during strength sessions.
Poor fuel supply (not getting enough carbs)
Aerobic exercise can reduce muscle profits without properly fueling. And when it comes to cardio, carbohydrates are your best friend.
“If your body isn’t using enough carbohydrates freely, it starts breaking down proteins and amino acids for fuel.
How to prevent aerobic exercise from hindering muscle growth
Cardiovascular fitness is an important part of overall health, and aerobic exercise (or aerobic and anaerobic blend, hiit) is the best way to achieve this.
Therefore, it is important to understand how to incorporate aerobic exercise into your routine without compromising the benefits of your muscles.
1. Take a break between workouts (at least 12 hours)
One way to check your aerobic exercise box without derailing your progress in the weight room might be able to escape by isolating your workout in 12 hours if you’re dying on the same day, Kelly says.
Certainly, you may end up working out more frequently during the week, but at least you will be able to maximize each workout. And your body has the opportunity to adapt to each stimulus before tackling other stimuli.
2. Focus on proper nutrition
It is also important to make sure you are properly fueling for your aerobic exercise. That is, it is a healthy source of carbohydrates, protein and fats. Carbohydrates and fats create adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the fuel source that your body depends primarily on and the chemical that moves your work muscles.
“The process of converting proteins into ATP is much more difficult than converting carbohydrates and fats into ATP. So, as long as (your body) is available, you need a more simple option,” explains Kelly.
Protein is also important. Whether you’re counting bench presses or recording miles, your muscles are driving your efforts and you need protein for repair and recovery.
3. Refueling with carbohydrates
The number of carbohydrates required depends primarily on the duration and intensity of exercise. However, the International Society for Sports Nutrition (ISSN) offers general recommendations for 5-12 grams of carbohydrates per day (g/kg/d).
However, stick to the lower and middle of the range unless you exercise at medium to high intensity for 12 hours a week.
What kind of aerobic exercise should I do?
First, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), we aim to obtain at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise every week, or 75 minutes of active-intensity aerobic exercise every week. Great cardio options include walking, jogging, swimming, cycling and rowing.
However, if your goal is to build muscle, the best bet could be high-intensity, short-term aerobic exercise (i.e. HIIT), Kelly says. “This method of aerobic exercise training is more power-based and actually helps stimulate muscle growth,” he adds.
