There are two main reasons why people will run as a form of exercise. They generally run in order to burn fat and improve their cardio. However, running impacts the body in many ways, one area overlooked is the impact it has on muscles.
Running can definitely have an impact on the body, and it can be positive or negative depending on how you go about the process. When you are running, you will need to use the proper method of running that will improve and enhance you muscles in a positive manner.
You impact all the muscles groups in the body when you run, it does not just affect the legs like most assume. So when you are running to workout, you are developing your body as well. You will burn excess fat, because running is known for shredding fat like few other exercises can. This is why many runners have such a desirable and amazing physique.
However, it is important to point out that when you overdo it with running, you can end up burning your own muscles as fuel. This means you will end up decreasing the amount of muscle mass you carry. Why does this occur? The reason is that when you run for too long of a duration or with too elevated of a heart rate, your body will opt to shift from primarily burning carbs and fat and into the realm of burning muscle.
When this happens, the result can be catastrophic on the physique. Usually the runner can end up with a very thin physique with little to no muscle mass. This is most definitely not the physique people want as their appearance.
Of course, there are ways out there to avoid burning muscle when you run. First way being cutting the duration of your workouts. Also, training in aerobics heart rate stage opposed to anaerobic stage is advisable. This is a safer way to train since anaerobic training results in an incredibly high heart rate.
It is also advised that you increase your protein intake when doing a lot of running. Since muscle is a form of protein, adding protein will aid in ensuring muscle mass is maintained. Just do not overdo it with protein shakes since they have a high calorie count.
It also can't hurt to add weightlifting to your workout routine. Since running burns muscle, you can always lift heavy weights to rebuild some of your lost muscle mass. You don't even have to lift a huge amount, as even moderate amounts can deliver great results.
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