Does cardio destroy gains? It depends on how much cardio you are doing? If you are running 10 miles a day about 4 to 5 days a week and you are lifting, then of course it will inhibit any muscle gains. If you are training like a marathon runner then it is counterproductive to any strength or muscle gain goals, you may have in the gym.
Many bodybuilders feel like if they do any cardio from an intensity perspective beyond a walk it will make them lose muscle. That is just not true from scientific perspective. You can still incorporate high intensity cardio, and it won’t inhibit muscle growth.
Does cardio destroy gains? iStock-photo credit: Anastasiia Havrysh
Sprinting is an anerobic exercise and can coincide with any type of resistance training in the gym. Incorporating sprinting training a couple of days a week helps to build and maintain lean muscle mass. Along with weight-lifting in the gym is collectively together a great muscle building routine. Higher intensity cardiovascular exercises with short durations lean more into anaerobic training vs aerobic training.
Using my own personal anecdotal experience whenever I have run 2 to 3 miles on a treadmill or on the road my entire legs felt like it got a full pump. The pump felt like I just did squats or leg press, so you are engaging your muscles similarly as if you were doing a form of weight-training on your legs.
A research study revealed that repeated consistent aerobic activity can increase the size of your muscles and fiber. And it said it can increase chronic muscle protein synthesis in skeletal muscle. In summary aerobic training and resistance training both collectively play a role in muscle hypertrophy.
Killing your muscle and strength gains is more predicated on the amount of cardio you are doing more than anything also most importantly how much quality food you are eating. If you are not consuming enough quality calories or protein it doesn’t matter how much lifting, you do in the gym. Your diet is a key asset to any gains you can make while weight-training.
Someone who is trying to gain muscle and is running marathons will have different results compared to someone who is just running 5K’s a couple of days a week.
The Bottom Line is cardio will not destroy your gains as long as you are not running marathons. The amount of cardio you are doing will determine how it will affect your muscle gains in the gym.
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References
- Konopka, Adam R.1; Harber, Matthew P.2. Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy After Aerobic Exercise Training. Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews 42(2):p 53-61, April 2014. | DOI: 10.1249/JES.0000000000000007
- Schumann M, Feuerbacher JF, Sünkeler M, Freitag N, Rønnestad BR, Doma K, Lundberg TR. Compatibility of Concurrent Aerobic and Strength Training for Skeletal Muscle Size and Function: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports Med. 2022 Mar;52(3):601-612. doi: 10.1007/s40279-021-01587-7. Epub 2021 Nov 10. PMID: 34757594; PMCID: PMC8891239.
