Is running good or bad?

xtacy · Jul 19, 2009

i searched the internet about this and i don't know what to believe. there are people saying running is usefull for dieting and harmless but there are also people saying it's not good for heart. they say it makes the heart bigger. which one is true?

and the other thing i wanna ask about is the running time. a lot of people are saying you start to burn fat after you run for at least 20 min. is it useless to run for like 10-15 min or is it just a myth?

i'd glad if you help me with these. thanks in advance.

Ironslave · Jul 19, 2009

It depends on your goals. For physique purposes, I personally think through much research that high intensity cardio sprints for 20-30 (ie, 1 minute hard, 1 minute walking), and then follow this with about 20 minutes of just walking or other low intensity cardio for a "cool down" period is the best.

You start to burn MORE fat as the duration increases, but to suggest that you don't burn any fat the first 20 minutes is dead wrong. Look at the physiques of the best sprinters in the world, they don't do any cardio other than run as fast as they can for 10 seconds! (then they rest like 5 minutes, and do it again a few times).

Running can make your heart larger but there are a few factors.

1) a genetic predisposition to this.

2) happens in highly trained athletes who exercise intensely for hours upon end.

Hope this helps.

Duality · Jul 19, 2009

running is fantastic if muscular development (bodybuilding type development) isn't you're main concern. i used to be a half marathon runner

yarly

and would run up to 13 miles a day some days. it's a great means to get away and the runners high is one of the most awesome feelings ever.

but.......i had to give it up because i wanted to get bigger. so if you're going for overall health and well being, run! but if you want to bodybuild, walking and the stepmill at relatively low paces are the most effective way to burn fat and hold on to muscular development.

tim290280 · Jul 20, 2009

Ironslave said:
It depends on your goals. For physique purposes, I personally think through much research that high intensity cardio sprints for 20-30 (ie, 1 minute hard, 1 minute walking), and then follow this with about 20 minutes of just walking or other low intensity cardio for a "cool down" period is the best.

You start to burn MORE fat as the duration increases, but to suggest that you don't burn any fat the first 20 minutes is dead wrong. Look at the physiques of the best sprinters in the world, they don't do any cardio other than run as fast as they can for 10 seconds! (then they rest like 5 minutes, and do it again a few times).

Running can make your heart larger but there are a few factors.

1) a genetic predisposition to this.

2) happens in highly trained athletes who exercise intensely for hours upon end.

Hope this helps.

I agree. Just to add to this:

1) Heart enlargement can be a good or a bad thing dependant on what enlarges. Mostly the benefits of any cardio, especially weight bearing cardio, is about efficiency of the heart and how well it recovers from bouts of elevated heart rate, oh and blood pressure.

2) Doing any kind of interval training is hard work. 10mins of hill sprints (intervals by nature) will honestly feel like a lifetime more than an hour of steady state cardio. So the relative benefits/utility derived is as much about how you train as how long you train.

murray.gill · Jul 20, 2009

running is great if you are wanting to be fit and an "athlete" if i can call it that. for body builders running is not recommended because wen u run u loose fat and a bit of muscle.

i used to be a runner until i got this pain in my right groin area.. its jus below my hip bown, i have been to physio but it didnt seem to work!! it only starts paining wen i run.. does anyone know wat it is??

Bulkboy · Jul 20, 2009

im not a big fan of running or jogging at all. dont have good experiences with it, mostly when it comes to my lower back and knees. i used to run/jog 10 km's most every other day when i trained karate and it took its toll on my knees and lower back(could be because i was jogging on asfalt) i prefer to ride a bicycle, or walk at a fast pace. when it comes to preserving muscle as well, i think other forms of cardio are more beneficial.

tim290280 · Jul 20, 2009

^^ I was going to mention that point, but decided against it.

Jogging takes a high toll on all of your joints, it is better to actually run or just walk. Also running on hard surfaces can lead to all sorts of overuse injuries like shin splints, runners knee, lower back problems, the list goes on and on. These ailments are especially prevalent in those new to running, those that are unfit, those that are overweight and those that are genetically predisposed to overuse injuries (I tend to get shin splints due to over-pronation because of bone ossicles in my feet).

Basically jogging on a hard surface is bad, especially for long distances. Running/sprinting on grass is fine.

xtacy · Jul 20, 2009

Duality said:
running is fantastic if muscular development (bodybuilding type development) isn't you're main concern.

are you saying that you lose muscle when you run or it just prevents you from building new muscle? and if running makes you lose muscle does it effect only legs or whole body?

thank you guys for all these usefull responses btw.

tim290280 · Jul 20, 2009

^^NO. Running tends to encourage catabolism, much like any exercise. Running doesn't tend to stress the skeletal muscles so as to encourage an accumulation of satellite cells post exercise (not to the same extent), most runners don't tend eat a lot, and that running tends to be for long durations.

So basically you don't tend to have the same recovery and growth capacity from walking/jogging/running (sprinting does), so muscle gains can be lost. But this is only if you decide to do a lot of running and very little eating with no strength training.

Natureboypkr · Jul 27, 2009

Running is great for you because it works the most important muscle in the body (the heart. I make sure I include low-impact running in my training because hard surfaces are unforgiving.

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jwill0214 · Jul 29, 2009

I have lower back pain from running. I think I may have pinched a nerve. It was probably my fault though from poor stretching or poor technique or poor running shoes.

bigdan · Aug 2, 2009

tim290280 said:
^^NO. Running tends to encourage catabolism, much like any exercise. Running doesn't tend to stress the skeletal muscles so as to encourage an accumulation of satellite cells post exercise (not to the same extent), most runners don't tend eat a lot, and that running tends to be for long durations.

So basically you don't tend to have the same recovery and growth capacity from walking/jogging/running (sprinting does), so muscle gains can be lost. But this is only if you decide to do a lot of running and very little eating with no strength training.

TRUTH

Folk Artist · Nov 15, 2018

It's pretty healthy to get some regular exercise from ruunning and jogging, because it can cut out heart disease by 50%, and it will strengthen your cardiovascular system- improving circulation, and enabling your heart and lungs to work more efficiently. I would say 2 to 3 times a week, and up to a half hour of jogging is the right amount.

Is running good or bad?

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