Long Slow Cardio Makes You Old, Sick, and Ugly

Check out this article at slowtwitch.com.   It's a phenomenal article on how marathon training tears you down. 

I always say: "Half marathon runners are always hotter than marathon runners.  10k runners are hotter than half marathon runners.  And 5k runners are hotter than 10k runners."  This article, while it approaches it from an anti-aging perspective, explains why longer training makes you sick, injured, and less attractive.

It's even more interesting when you note that the author is a former sub-2:20 marathoner and a 4th place finisher in the Hawaiian Ironman.

-Josh

from slowtwitch.com:
Training is no guarantee of health

Let’s get one thing straight right off the bat: Endurance training is antithetical to anti-aging. So it amazes me when guys in their 40s and 50s who are training for a marathon or Ironman suggest that doing so will keep them young. It won’t. You may feel like a stud now with your shaved legs and your magic marker biceps tattoos, but endurance training speeds up the aging process almost as fast as watching TV, drinking sodas and eating potato chips. Actually, in some cases, it speeds it up even faster.

Read the rest here: http://www.slowtwitch.com/mainheadings/features/health_doping_slowtwitch2.html

I also thought this was pretty good - from Mark's official bio on his blog:

"In fact, the running was going so well after college that I decided to forgo medical school for a few years (it’s at 31 years now) and concentrate on a running career. I trained seriously as a marathoner for another five years, racking up well over 100 miles each week in training. The effort culminated in a top 5 finish in the 1980 US National Marathon Championships and a qualifying spot for the 1980 US Olympic Trials. Unfortunately, by then the inhuman amount of training and weekly racing was taking its toll and I found myself constantly sick or injured. (Note to self: too much exercise is not a good thing). In fact, in my last year of competition, as a world class, extremely “fit” athlete, I experienced eight upper respiratory infections! Clearly I was ruining my immune system and my joints doing too much exercise. That’s when I started exploring nutrition and supplementation as a way to enhance my performance and to support my damaged body and bolster my immune system."

Check out his articles on all kinds of cool stuff about fitness, looking athletic, anti-aging, and health - http://www.marksdailyapple.com/

BONUS!

For another look (possibly a more balanced look) at Strength Training vs. Cardio, check out this article from this month's issue of Women's Health:

A WH Fitness Face Off
In one corner: Dumbbells. In the other: A jump rope. The ref: WH, slicing and dicing the research to determine whether strength or cardio rules.

To resolve the strength vs. cardio conundrum, we culled research and chatted up experts to find out how each would fare in a head-to-head matchup (don't worry, nobody's going to bite anyone's ear off). Whether you want to get buff, torch calories, or run your fastest mile ever, we've decoded which discipline you should devote your sweat to -- and created a workout that's perfectly proportioned to give you all the benefits. Now, let's get ready to rumble...

Read the rest of the article...

Comments

[Brittany]

Hey,

I read the article, "Long Slow Cardio Makes You Old, Sick, and Ugly" and I disagree with the idea that marathons make you age faster, become sicker, and "look ugly". I found another article to prove this theory wrong: http://www.sevatothemax.com/blog/2006/08/20/bhai-fauja-singh-marathons-at-90/

In his 90's this man is: "180 per cent fitter than an average man of his age, with a bone density in his left leg of a 50-year-old and a "20-year-old's right leg". He walks or runs 7 to 10 miles every day and has a training session with his coach once a week, although, he confesses, "When I am tired I do use my bus pass.'" Looking at his photos, I must say that he doesn't look that bad for his age either. I think that Mark's official bio was an example of over training, and not knowing when to stop. I can agree that over training does do more harm than good, but long distance running is not the culprit.

[Joshua Hillis]

Here is my stance -

every person I have ever done a bodyfat test for, whose primary form of exercise was marathon training, was skinny fat. Most women I have bodyfat tested who were recreational marathon runners were over 30% bodyfat.

That being said, seriously competitive runners have been lower. In other words, runners who had structured training programs with a running coach and made significant improvements in speed every year, were about 4% leaner. For a female that puts them around 26% bodyfat.

The only time I've met marathon runners I would actually consider "lean" were doing significant amounts of strength training as well. Combining marathon training with strength training I've seen clients get very lean, strong, and healthy. I have a client who runs marathons who also does single leg squats butt to the floor and knocks out fifty pullups and fifty dips in a workout without much difficulty. He can also do the "300 Workout" in under 40 minutes. Adding strength training he came down from 18% bodyfat to 13% and added about 7lbs of muscle.

I'm really not trying to tear down anyone who does lots of long slow cardio. But I don't think it's the fountain of youth that people are lead to believe either. From a body composition standpoint, it's a less effective option. From a health standpoint, it tears people's immune system down more than shorter more intense workouts. It also wears on joints more than shorter more intense workouts.

Can that be managed with other smart training and diet? Sure. But my preference is to always start with the most efficient method. Most of my clients have way too little time, and if I can save 'em from doing an hour of cardio and get them the same or better result, it's awesome.

I love a good long run as much as the next guy. Sometimes nothing clears a space to think like a 12 mile run. There is something super meditative about running forever. And so that's what I use long runs for.

[black swan]

Just completed my first (and last) marathon, following 6 months of marathon training. I lost muscle mass from my breasts and glutes (didn't have time to do much incline training), my triceps are jiggly and my neck looks like a scrawny chicken. Unfortunately, I neglected my cross training, due to time constraints.

For a woman who is 59 years of age, loss of muscle mass can have a really negative impact on your appearance. I intend to dedicate the next six months to an intense resistance training regime, with a little aerobic stuff thrown in for cardio maintenance.

No more marathons for me . . . I proved I could do it and that's enough!

[Joshua Hillis]

It's awesome you completed a marathon! It's like climbing mount everest, I think it's awesome when people do it once.

It's also awesome that now you are returning to resistance training to get some of that muscle mass back. I give resistance training a double thumbs up.

If you enjoyed the running training but don't want to lose lean muscle, I'm all for training for fast 5k or 1600 meter races. The track workouts (speedwork) involved in training for the shorter faster races is really compatible with looking hot, lean and athletic.

[Danny Ray]

Learn the truth behind weight loss once and for all. "The Reason You Can't Lose Weight has Nothing to Do With Your Will-Power, Over-Eating or the Right Diet! ... The Reason You are Fat and Unhealthy is Because You Have Disgusting Plaque and Horrible Little 'CRITTERS' Living in Your Guts!" "...And Now I'm Going to Show You How to Get Rid of All of It so You Can Shed 10 lbs, 25 lbs, 50 lbs even 100 lbs or more - and Keep It Off FOREVER!!"

[Danny Ray]

Learn the truth behind weight loss once and for all. "The Reason You Can't Lose Weight has Nothing to Do With Your Will-Power, Over-Eating or the Right Diet! ... The Reason You are Fat and Unhealthy is Because You Have Disgusting Plaque and Horrible Little 'CRITTERS' Living in Your Guts!" "...And Now I'm Going to Show You How to Get Rid of All of It so You Can Shed 10 lbs, 25 lbs, 50 lbs even 100 lbs or more - and Keep It Off FOREVER!!"

[larry]

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