Chronic Cardio, What is it, and is it beneficial?

Welcome to my blog! I’m always glad you’re here to learn new ways to live a happier, healthier life. So today’s blog topic is on Chronic Cardio. I’ve heard of Chronic Taco, but not chronic cardio. This must be a new term from “experts” that we old timers call TMDC-too much damn cardio. But now the experts are saying that chronic cardio could actually be causing you to gain weight! That’s right, all that cardio you’re doing in the gym and outside could be actually backfiring and not benefiting you at all. So let’s dive in and find out.

             Is it possible to do too much cardio? I thought running, spinning, and using the elliptical 45-60 minutes a day was good for the heart and the best way to lose weight? Chronic Cardio is considered moderate to intense aerobic exercise performed over 30-60 minutes per day, several times a week. This could include running, jogging, elliptical, stationary bike, or spinning, This does not include walking, which is considered low intensity.

            So why do some experts say Chronic Cardio is detrimental to your health? Well, there are several reasons for this. The first one is that Chronic Cardio increases and sustains the level of cortisol in your body. Cortisol is a stress hormone that is released during stress and strenuous activities including resistance training and cardio. Normally this is fine and the body can deal with it when an appropriate amount of cortisol is secreted into the bloodstream, along with adequate rest and recovery time. Ok, so here is the problem, when too much cortisol is released and the body doesn’t have the time to properly rest and recover. This is exactly what happens during Chronic Cardio. This long aerobic activity releases too much cortisol than the body can handle, and since the activity is being performed almost daily, the body never has a chance to heal itself by eliminating the cortisol from the bloodstream. Hence, rest and recovery! This is the missing link! You can perform a lot of cardio if you desire, however, always fit in a rest and recovery day (or two).

            So what kind of effects does cortisol have on the body? Well experts say that too much cortisol has been linked to:

1. The body storing too much fat
2. Craving sugary foods
3. Over eating, or binge eating
4. Difficulty sleeping or falling asleep
5. Suppressed immunity   

Ok, so here is my take on it and my advice to you. Perform resistance training at a minimum 2-3 days a week and cardio 2-3 days a week. So your cardio workout might look like this: 5 min. HIIT cardio session, followed by low intensity followed by another HIIT cardio session. You can also perform a 40 min. steady aerobic activity. Some people just need to walk briskly for 30 min. a day to achieve the same results. This is good for your heat as well as keeping your cortisol levels in check.

The resistance training is up to you. However you normally perform them is fine, just remember to keep it short and sweet. Don’t be in the gym for more than 45 min to an hour max. Always remember that no matter how much cardio you do, you can’t outrun a poor diet! Make sure your diet is complete and healthy prior to doing any type of cardio or resistance training.

Some further reading may help you with making healthier choices and it’s actually interesting to read about different studies that have been done on this topic. Check out these articles and studies that have been done and let me know what you think.

  https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj/article/33/8/998/445749  this one is on exercise and induced right ventricle dysfunction in endurance athletes.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19633305/ this one is about A-Fib being higher in athletes than the general population.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21330616/ this one is on myocardial fibrosis in lifelong veteran endurance athletes.

These are all good studies that need further review and possibly more studies done to really confirm what the science tells us, however, it is a good place to start and it is something for experts to listen to.

      I hope this helps you decide on your next cardio session and maybe taking a little break. Just remember that the main points and the take away from this is proper rest and recovery. It doesn’t matter if you do cardio, resistance training or both, you need the proper rest. Don’t overdo it and just go have fun and make working out safe and effective.  

You only get one body……..Make the change!

Take care,

Darren