If you’re choosing cardio over weights, you’re literally running away from your gainz…
There are 4 metabolic ward studies — the gold standard of research — showing statistically significant reductions in resting metabolic rate when overweight subjects performed endurance exercise equivalent to a 300-600 caloric burn per day, for multiple weeks. In other words, when overweight humans do more than an hour of endurance exercise — otherwise known as steady-state cardio — daily, their resting metabolism declines an average of 5-15%.
This isn’t to say that exercise isn’t beneficial but their are better ways if you are trying to lose weight, such as sprinting or resistance training. Both of which will help to build muscle and INCREASE resting metabolic rates.
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References:
- Bouchard C, Tremblay A, Despres JP, Theriault G, Nadeau A, Lupien PJ, Moorjani S, Prudhomme D, Fournier G: The response to exercise with constant energy intake in identical twins. Obes Res 1994, 2(5):400-410.
- Heymsfield SB, Casper K, Hearn J, Guy D: Rate of weight loss during underfeeding: relation to level of physical activity. Metabolism 1989, 38(3):215-223.
- Phinney SD, LaGrange BM, O'Connell M, Danforth E, Jr.: Effects of aerobic exercise on energy expenditure and nitrogen balance during very low calorie dieting. Metabolism 1988, 37(8):758-765.
- Woo R, Garrow JS, Pi-Sunyer FX: Voluntary food intake during prolonged exercise in obese women. Am J Clin Nutr 1982, 36(3):478-484.