Is Doing Cardio Making You Fat?
Question: Just heard this from a doctor on a talk show. “Long endurance training is metabolically damaging.” Thoughts on this statement?
Answer: Here are my thoughts on the statement “long endurance training can be metabolically damaging”.
Here’s why:
Your metabolism (your metabolic rate) is the most important factor when it comes to fat loss (burning body fat).
It is even more important than the number of calories you eat daily. Example: Even if you eat a super low calorie diet (one in which you intake less than you burn) you can still struggle with weight loss. Why, because you metabolism is not functioning properly.
If you have a low or no metabolic rate you will not burn calories effectively.
Your metabolic rate can become damaged by several factors. Here are a few examples:
1. Low intensity or steady state cardio training (this is where your “long endurance training” would fall). This also includes things like walking on the treadmill for an hour at a slow steady speed or doing to elliptical trainer at a slow steady pace for a long period of time.
2. A restricted calorie diet
These are just two of the things that I see most often in people with metabolic damage.
There are a few simple things you can do to increase your metabolic rate (these will also help heal a damaged metabolism).
1. Resistance training (lifting weights) – the more lean muscle mass you have the more calories you can burn and the more efficient your metabolism will become. This is really important for females.
2. If you read any of my stuff you know I am a big believer in HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) – This is the best way to burn calories and body fat. Plus your body cannot adjust or adapt to it easy so you will get better results as opposed to long steady cardio sessions.
3. Improve the quality of your calories. The better (cleaner) your calories the more efficiently your body can utilize them as energy.
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Healthy and Happiness,