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There is a common misconception that long-distance running can cause muscle loss. While this is true to some extent, as long-distance running does not work the muscles enough or in the right way, it is not true that all running causes muscle loss. In fact, sprinting and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) can increase muscle mass in the lower body. Additionally, running can help fight age-related muscle loss, and it can be used in tandem with strength training to improve overall fitness.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Joggers can lead to muscle loss | Excess cardio without strength training or adequate calories can lead to muscle loss |
| Joggers and muscle gain | Running can help build muscle, especially in the legs, calves, quads, and obliques |
| Joggers and muscle maintenance | Running can help maintain muscle mass if programmed correctly, with adequate flexibility, mobility, and balance work |
| Joggers and muscle recovery | Running can aid recovery from heavy lifting sessions and improve overall training capacity |
| Joggers and muscle damage | Downhill running and resistance exercises can cause muscle damage and reduced endurance running performance |
| Joggers and muscle stiffness | Muscle stiffness can influence running economy (RE) and oxygen consumption during submaximal exercise |
| Joggers and muscle soreness | Excess cardio without strength training can cause delayed-onset muscle soreness |
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What You'll Learn
Running can help build muscle
Running is a great way to build muscle, especially in the lower body, as long as it is complemented with the right nutrition. Running is not only good for your physical health but also your mental health, which will help you in your strength and muscle maintenance journey.
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) has been shown to cause a significant increase in muscle growth, especially in the quadriceps and hamstrings. One study found that recreationally trained college students who performed HIIT workouts three times a week for ten weeks showed an 11% increase in their quadriceps muscle fiber area compared to a control group.
Additionally, incorporating ankle flexibility exercises, such as long lunges and single-leg deadlifts, into your routine can help prevent injuries and improve your squat form. It is also important to properly fuel your body with adequate nutrients, especially protein, to support the muscle-building process.
In summary, running can help build muscle, particularly in the lower body, when combined with proper nutrition and the right type of running workouts, such as HIIT and interval training.
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Excessive cardio without strength training can burn muscle
It is a common misconception that excessive cardio activities break down lean muscle tissue. In fact, cardio can increase blood flow, improve muscle endurance, and increase muscle protein synthesis, which plays a crucial role in how your body responds to and adapts as a result of resistance training. Research suggests that consistent aerobic activity enhances muscle protein synthesis in skeletal muscle and increases the size of muscles and muscle fibres.
However, it is important to note that the theory that cardio can impede strength gains, or "adaptation interference", is not entirely unfounded. A 1980 study found that strength improvements were greater in the group that did not do any cardio. Experts have since studied this theory and posed different explanations for why adaptation interference might occur, but there is still no definitive proof that it exists. In fact, newer studies have shown that cardio does not inhibit muscle gain and may even help it.
While cardio is beneficial for overall health and wellness, it is not a requirement for muscle growth or strength gains. If your goal is solely to increase muscle mass or strength, strength training or resistance training is more effective. This is because resistance training is more effective at building lean muscle, and muscle mass burns more calories at rest than other tissues, including fat. Additionally, building muscle may help increase resting metabolism, which means your body burns more calories at rest.
However, incorporating cardio into your routine can help improve your overall health and fitness. Cardio helps improve heart health, manage blood pressure, and boost your mood. It is also an effective way to burn fat and calories, which can help with weight loss. Therefore, including a healthy balance of cardio and strength training in your workout routine is ideal for maintaining muscle mass and overall health.
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Running can improve recovery from heavy lifting
Running can be a great way to improve recovery from heavy lifting. While it is important to rest and recover after an intense lifting session, running can be an active recovery tool that helps you bounce back faster.
Lifting weights causes micro-tears in your muscle fibres, which is why you experience pain and soreness in the days following a heavy-lifting session. Running increases blood flow to these muscles, helping to flush out toxins and acidity, as well as stimulating protein synthesis to regenerate and build muscle. This increased blood flow also helps to reduce muscle stiffness, making you feel better and improving your strength and endurance.
Additionally, running improves your aerobic capacity, which is beneficial for recovery. When engaging in HIIT or heavy lifting, a significant load is added to the nervous system, which can affect your performance. Running, on the other hand, does not add as much extra load onto the nervous system, allowing you to improve your aerobic capacity and recovery without over-taxing the nervous system.
It is important to note that running should be programmed correctly into your routine. Start with a solid aerobic base of a few slow jogs a week, and then gradually increase the intensity with speed or hill work. This will help prevent injury and ensure that running complements your heavy lifting routine, improving your overall strength and muscle mass development.
In conclusion, running can be a valuable tool to improve recovery from heavy lifting. By increasing blood flow to muscles, reducing stiffness, and improving aerobic capacity, running helps your body recover faster and improves your overall performance.
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Running economy (RE) is a critical factor for performance
Metabolic efficiency, one of the components of RE, refers to the utilisation of available energy to facilitate optimal performance. It is about getting the most out of the energy consumed, which is reflected in the oxygen uptake (VO2) values. A lower value of running economy indicates better efficiency and is a good predictor of race performance. VO2 is the amount of oxygen consumed in millilitres per minute, normalised by kilogram of body weight. Runners with high RE demonstrate lower energetic costs at submaximal velocity and tend to run faster at a given distance or maintain a constant velocity for longer.
Cardiorespiratory efficiency, another component of RE, refers to the reduced work output for processes related to oxygen transport and utilisation. This is reflected in the measurement of RE, which involves assessing the oxygen cost of running at different speeds. The most valid method for this is using a gas analyser to measure oxygen and carbon dioxide concentrations during exercise. Accurate measurements of RE must consider the calorific content of the substrate being oxidised, as the body may metabolise lipids or carbohydrates, which have different energy yields per unit of oxygen.
Biomechanical and neuromuscular characteristics refer to the interaction between the neural and musculoskeletal systems and their ability to convert power output into translocation and, therefore, performance. The morphology of limbs, especially the legs, plays a role in RE, with increased weight in the feet having a greater impact on oxygen consumption than weight carried in the thighs. Additionally, the choice of shoes can affect RE.
In conclusion, RE is a critical factor for performance as it reflects the integrated functioning of multiple physiological systems and their interaction. It provides a good predictor of race performance and helps runners manage core body temperature during exercise. By understanding and improving their RE, athletes can enhance their endurance and overall running performance.
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Muscle damage from exercise can negatively impact endurance
It is a common misconception that jogging can cause muscle loss. In fact, running can bolster strength gains and muscle mass development. However, it is important to programme it correctly and incorporate flexibility, mobility, and balance work into your routine to prevent injury.
Exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) is typically caused by unaccustomed or high-intensity exercise, particularly eccentric exercises. Eccentric exercises involve a greater force per active motor unit, resulting in greater mechanical stress. Metabolic stress may also play a role in EIMD, with focal depletion of glycogen stores leading to decreased function of the sarcoplasmic reticulum or sarcolemmal ATPases.
EIMD can result in pain, soreness, inflammation, and reduced muscle function. These negative outcomes can impair subsequent athletic performance or training quality, particularly when there is limited time for recovery. Studies have shown that EIMD can negatively impact endurance running performance, with muscle damage induced by downhill running reducing running economy (RE) during subsequent moderate and high-intensity exercise.
RE is defined as the energy demand for a given velocity of submaximal running and is a critical factor in overall distance running performance. Several factors influence RE, including oxidative muscle capacity and muscle stiffness. Muscle stiffness refers to the ability of the muscles to store and release elastic energy. While a high weekly volume of training is associated with better RE, a short period of high-intensity aerobic training can also lead to improvements in trained runners.
To prevent and attenuate EIMD, various techniques such as massage, cryotherapy, and stretching have been employed with mixed results. Additionally, nutritional and supplementation interventions have been explored, including protein supplements, taurine supplementation, and tart cherry juice.
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Frequently asked questions
Jogging can be a factor in muscle loss, but it doesn't have to be. If you jog so much that you don't have time or energy to do strength training, you may lose muscle mass because jogging doesn't work those muscles enough or in the right way. However, if you programme it right, jogging can help you recover from heavy lifting sessions and bolster your strength gains.
Focus on programming your jogs right. If you're increasing your running speed, don't also increase your running duration. If you're running longer, keep your pace slower. It's also important to maintain your strength training routine, and make sure you're getting enough protein.
Your muscles grow when your body synthesises more protein than it breaks down. Exercise helps promote this process, but only if you have adequate nutrients, especially protein. Without enough protein, your body can't support the muscle-building process.
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) can help you build lower body muscle, especially in your quadriceps and hamstrings. Sprinting will typically increase your muscle mass, whereas long-distance running breaks down muscle instead of building it.
