Questions about Cardio.

[freshtodeath]

Hey,
Are there any benefits from doing cardio when you wake up before you eat?
I usually walk on the treadmill at an incline of 12 and a speed of 3.2, will I burn the most fat and retain muscle like this?

 

[T_man]

You will probably burn the most fat in this state.... but also alot of muscle. You havent had any protein for atleast 8 hours & jumping into cardio, ofcourse you would expect muscle mass loss to be on the high side

 

[freshtodeath]

should I take a protein shake before I run?

 

[T_man]

It probably would help in terms of muscle mass loss but the protein would also be broken down into carbohydrate and used as fuel instead of fat i think

 

[sakbar]

....protein would also be broken down into carbohydrate...

Why not just have a quick shake along with some carbs?

 

[DIVINITUS]

Why not just have a quick shake along with some carbs?

Well...at that point aren't you just burning the carbs AND protein in the shake instead of fat?

 

[quadluver]

should I take a protein shake before I run?

Protein helps build muscle, it doesn't help preserve it.

 

[Built]

Protein doesn't spare muscle? Are you sure about that quadlover?

If you're running for fat loss, you're really missing the boat: diet off the weight, train heavy to preserve the muscle.

Do a little cardio for your health, but pretend it burns nothing.

Since that's not why you're doing it, might as well feed it.

 

[jhawkin1]

I do a scoop of whey with skim milk along with an apple (pre workout for weights and for cardio).

 

[freshtodeath]

If you're running for fat loss, you're really missing the boat: diet off the weight, train heavy to preserve the muscle.

Do a little cardio for your health, but pretend it burns nothing.

Since that's not why you're doing it, might as well feed it.

Pretty much the basic theory that cardio gets one shredded isn't even true... can anyone point me in the right direction to getting shredded?

 

[Marat]

Read the 'Wondering where to start' link in Built's signature. That's a good starting point.

 

[freshtodeath]

thanks.... I'll read it over

 

[Yanick]

The above mentioned link plus the stickies in here

and Getting Started With Your Diet

Should give you lots to read and get a foundation going in terms of what you should be aiming for. Some information may overlap but use it as a reinforcer.

 

[Kevsworld]

Fasted cardio is a controversial issue.

Here's the theory behind it:
Since your blood sugar is low in the mornings, fasted cardio would cause you to tap into fat resources more quickly. But this can put you in danger of burning muscle. Like many things whether or not it is advisable depends on your situation.

I never recommend fasted cardio for ectomorphs. I think it can be effective for endomorphs (or in some cases, mesomorphs). Here's the main thing to keep in mind with fasted cardio: don't get too intense. If you break into the anaerobic threshold, you greatly increase your chances of burning muscle.