This is an interesting question and one that needs some attention. Some people may shy away from doing aerobic exercises for fear of losing muscle mass. This is not the case though, as long as the rest of your workouts and nutritional plan are in balance. Does aerobic exercises cause you to lose muscle? This article will answer that question.
The quick answer to that question is yes. But any type or form of exercise, whether it's dance aerobics or weightlifting will cause muscle breakdown. This is a natural process. The body uses muscle protein for energy so you can complete your exercises. The good news is that your body will rebuild that muscle tissue while you are resting. That is where proper rest between workouts becomes so important - to allow your body the time it needs to rebuild muscle tissue.
Now if you are overdoing your cardiovascular workouts without proper rest and nutrition then it is possible to lose muscle. By this I mean if all you do is cardio (in excessive amounts) without eating protein building foods and good carbs then you could sacrifice some muscle mass. This would have to be in extreme excess though. You should be able to perform 30 to 60 minutes of cardio each day without risk of muscle loss.
Does aerobic exercise cause you to lose muscle? Not if you're workouts are in balance. You need to augment your cardiovascular workouts with proper nutrition (as mentioned before) and weight training. Training with weights will stimulate muscular growth and help prevent muscle loss during cardiovasular training. Don't be misled that you don't need resistive exercises in your workout regiment. Weight training in conjunction with cardio can keep your metabolism burning longer and faster to help you burn more calories and bodyfat.
You can lose muscle mass when performing cardiovascular exercise in excess. This will not likely happen though if you balance your routines with weight training, proper nutrition and adequate rest.
By: Peter Harris
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