How does "muscle wasting" occur?
Can anyone give me some explanation on muscle wasting? How do you know if its happening to you? I'm curious if the intensity of my cardio could trigger that?
I lift 6x week; start with my weight training first for about 45 mins then I do cardio/HIIT (also 6x week) for 20 mins (5.6 then increase to 9.4) on the treadmill and then I might add the bike or Ellipt for an additional 10-15 mins if I feel up to it.
THanks! :)
Aerobics does not cause muscle loss
Muscle loss is usually a direct result of an inadequate supply of calories to sustain the aerobic work rather than aerobics itself. A bodybuilder who loses muscle during a period of aerobic training is not eating enough to compensate for the calories expended.
Also, aerobic exercise increases levels of myoglobin which is a protein that transports oxygen from the bloodstream into the muscle fibers. This increases the level and activity of the enzymes involved in the aerobic metabolism of glucose. Larger mitochondria (cellular furnaces where fat and other nutrients are burned) in greater numbers, increased levels of aerobic enzymes, coupled with increased blood flow all boosts the fat burning capabilities of the muscle fibers.
As for the cause of muscle waste, if you are consantly in the catabolic state of metabolism through repeated training, your body cannot produce the chemical substances and parts needed for repair. The stress of excessive training can exceed the body's ability to recover and adapt, which results in more catabolism (breakdown) than anabolism (buildup).