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Maintaining a regular exercise schedule, consuming a healthy diet, and allocating enough time for relaxation are necessary for achieving noticeable muscle growth. There's a common misconception that engaging in aerobic exercise (cardio) might result in muscle loss. This myth is partly propagated by the notion that vigorous exercise burns fat and calories. That's still untrue!
Yes, performing "cardio" for extended periods, too hard, or too frequently might prevent you from building muscle during your strength training sessions. If your diet is deficient in calories or nutrients, cardio might be counterproductive to your efforts to grow strength and muscle mass.
This comprehensive guide will teach you all there is to know about the effects of cardio on muscle gain, including how much cardio is right for you.
Understanding the Effect of Cardio on Muscle Growth
Cardio exercise is any physical activity that makes you gasp for air and uses oxygen to fuel your heart. Cardio is not a valuable method to accelerate muscular growth, but it speeds up muscle recovery by increasing blood flow.
More nutrients can reach tired muscles, and metabolic waste may be eliminated more quickly with increased blood flow, which promotes muscle development and repair.
They can raise muscle protein synthesis (MPS) rates by an average of 22% among triathletes within four months of training. Studies have indicated that middle-aged men who train on a bicycle (a traditional aerobic exercise) will have a 10% boost in the growth of their quadriceps muscles.
Given that lower rates of MPS have been associated with reductions in mitochondrial respiratory capacity (MRC), these increases in MPS during aerobic exercise may result from MRC improvements. Mitochondrial density in type II muscles rose to 20 percent in middle-aged males running for six months during the intervention.
How Much Cardio Is Too Much?
The health advantages of cardiovascular exercise are well-documented in scientific literature. Simple cardiovascular exercises can help prevent and cure cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and osteoporosis.
For cardiovascular exercise to benefit one's health, it need not be strenuous or taxing. Moderate-intensity cardio has been proven to be quite helpful in reducing cardiovascular disease.
The American Heart Association suggests that you engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity weekly exercise as evidence for this claim. This amount is the bare minimum of cardiovascular exercise advised to achieve and sustain health benefits.
Methods for Incorporating Cardio Without Sacrificing Muscle Mass
Sometimes, the most significant muscle concern regarding cardio is the fear of losing hard-earned muscular mass. You don't want to exercise cardio so you don’t lose the muscle you have worked so hard to build.
However, there is nothing to be concerned about if you train wisely. Below are some of the things you need to keep in mind when doing a cardio exercise.
Keep a regular exercise routine
You should be dedicated to and follow a regular exercise regimen targeting all your muscles. However, we will understand that it's simple to get erratic with weight training and perform push-ups or bench presses once every few weeks. Make an effort not to develop such behavior.
Avoid high-glucose meals
Fructose, honey, agave nectar, rice, and corn syrup should all be ingested in moderation or never because of their high sugar content and propensity to elevate blood sugar levels.
They can be utilized as a hunger suppressor in moderation if you are at a loss for what to do. As you learn more about food and nutrition, you'll discover that various meals benefit your health.
Sprints
Sprinting is more than simply a way to get faster. It is an excellent way to enhance the growth of fast-twitch muscle fibers, burn fat, and activate several muscle groups.
Take a variety of exercises outside, such as sprints up hills, intervals lasting a mile, and brief sprints interspersed with rest periods. Leave the treadmill for now.
Consume more leafy green vegetables
Evidently, the food you consume impacts several different areas of your body. Consuming wholesome meals like fruits and vegetables is crucial, especially to maintain physical energy.
If you eat a variety of processed foods, it could be the reason why you’re not able to preserve your muscles while on a diet. Your body needs vitamins A, D, E, and K (fat-soluble vitamins) to maintain muscle mass while on a diet.
More repetitions, proper form, and slow training
Another popular way to lose fat and reduce cortisol levels while maintaining muscle mass and burning fat effectively is to train slowly, do more reps, and stay in form. Spend time under pressure with your rigorous motions, lifts, and high preps.
Can Cardio Ever Improve Your Gains?
A 2018 study review found that intense cardio, such as high-intensity interval training (HIIT) sessions, had little to no effect on muscle loss. Concurrently, lifting weights and jogging can, albeit not literally, negatively affect explosive strength.
But it won't stop you from gaining overall muscle and strength, according to a National Library of Medicine review. Cardio can advance muscle growth by expanding blood flow to the muscles, which can help supply more oxygen and nutrients to the muscle tissue.
Better muscle development and recovery might result from this. Also, cardio can support general fitness and cardiovascular well-being, making you more grounded and enhancing your ability to perform resistance training.
Final Thoughts
Many have demonized Cardiovascular exercise in the fitness industry in recent years. As this article has shown, many complaints against cardio-based exercise are baseless. Beyond the well-known health advantages, aerobic exercise has been shown to promote fat reduction and provide temporary relief from painful muscles.
Do it gradually if you want to incorporate cardio into your bodybuilding routine. You may increase your time over some weeks. Remember to also focus on your diet—eat more leafy green veggies and avoid meals high in glucose. Sprint at least once a week so you can preserve your gains effectively.
References:
- Matthews, Michael. (11 Apr. 2013). Cardio and Muscle Growth: Friends or Foes?
https://legionathletics.com/cardio-and-muscle-growth-friends-or-foes/
- Men’s Health. (21 Apr. 2011). Will Cardio Keep Me from Gaining Muscle?
https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a19540296/will-cardio-keep-me-from-gaining-muscle/.
- Konopka, Adam R., and Matthew P. Harber. (Apr. 2014). Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy after Aerobic Exercise Training
https://doi.org/10.1249/JES.0000000000000007.
- Heart. (Sept. 2024). American Heart Association Recommendations for Physical Activity in Adults and Kids.
- Schumann, Moritz, et al. (Mar. 2022). Compatibility of Concurrent Aerobic and Strength Training for Skeletal Muscle Size and Function: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports Medicine (Auckland, N.Z.)
