Why Cardio is NOT a Waste of Time

by Mike Howard

"Cardio is useless, a waste of time, it eats muscle, it's boring...." The majority of fat loss experts are now swinging away from long slow distance type cardio as part of a weight loss intervention and overall health.

In theory (and it would seem in practice, too), the concept of HIIT (High intensity interval training) as a superior method for blubber-burning is valid. But is the pendulum swinging too far?

While the literature, the forward-thinking fat loss experts and my own personal/professional experience side with the weight training/intense cardio mentality - there are limitations and caveats to this school of thought. Here's what I think.

The people that need to boost their health and lose fat the most need to establish a cardio-respiratory base. Trying to push an unfit individual to their physical extremes can be dangerous. Furthermore, physical discomfort is not conducive to continuing an activity and therefore long term success.
High intensity training requires rest. Even if you are at a higher physical level, interspersing longer, slower cardio into your routine is advisable.
Interval training does not have to be intense. In fact, you can incorporate intervals with the even the most unfit individuals.
You can still mix it up. You can perform longer, slower distance cardio on different modes (ie. treadmill, bike, elliptical) and even incorporate intervals on those modes.
Longer, slower cardio still burns calories. It still exercises your heart and lungs and it still helps stave off many diseases and ailments.
Once you've established a good cardio base, incorporating more intense cardio is warranted. Be sure you are mentally prepared for such efforts
Long, slow cardio or intense cardio in the absence of weight training will limit the benefit of fat burning.

Bottom Line

It becomes easy to get carried away with the "method A is superior to method B" mentality. There is certainly an advantage of doing HIIT-type training vs. long, slow distance cardio when it comes to effectiveness and efficiency.

I believe, however that it needs to be progressive and integrative and that we have to rid ourselves of the mentality that longer, steady state cardio is useless. This type of activity can be monumentally beneficial for those who need it the most.

49 Comments

Mark

I lost weight by doing exercise in short bouts twice a day four times a week, studies have shown that this does work better than doing one long intense workout. It worked for me anyway.

And as you say mixing it up does work better to burn fat

martyn

I lost weight after trying lots of methods by using a military fitness method that worked better for me than for anything else iv tried. You can read my story and check it out for yourself at
http://healthproductreviewed.blogspot.com/

Heather

Thank you. At a site I go to, people are regularly telling sedentary individuals to hop into high intensity training. The thing is, sedentary individuals can start seeing cardiovascular benefits at as little as 50% MHR, and the increased pressure and stress on bodies can be detrimental. Not that it should not be used, but it's not right for everybody all the time.

Even the group that says it burns more Calories-- While it does burn Calories faster/more efficiently, longer duration cardio can still burn more overall because a person can go for a longer period and thus burn more Calories. There is a point where the tiring-nature of high intensity training can be overcome.

Now, I'm not saying long duration cardio is best for everybody... merely that the idea that everyone should be doing HIIT is flawed. Actually, I seldom believe one is right for even one person, all the time.

I think it's a flaw arising from people's tendencies to jump on a bandwagon... take a certain piece of information and distribute it broadly across a huge spectrum of people when that is not what the research or common sense really suggests. Whether it's the tendency for "my training is better than your training" or just misdirected good intentions, it certainly makes me wonder.

dean geddes

lower intensity cardio will only mobilise fat for energy if there is insufficient muscle glycogen available. Muscle carbohydrate is the body's preferred source of energy as its more easily metabolised to ATP than fat. The body makes about 20 mins of muscle glycogen from non carbohydrate sources (gluconeogenesis) so whenever you begin an exercise session the first 20 mins at least will be fueled by carbs.
If you do high intensity exercise the body cannot break down fat fast enough to meet the energy requirmenst of the activity. This is why top athletes fuel their bodies on carbs. Fat is twice as energy dense as carbohydrate so it would be more efficient to fuel the body on fat, so why do athletes fuel their bodies on carbs? For the simple reason that the body cannot metabolise stored fat fast enough for high intensity exercise.
If you want to know more about how to structure your exercise for maximum fat loss I can discuss my 2 Fuel Tanks System of weight loss.

Spectra

Very true. I've found that now that I'm a pretty elite athlete, my body prefers to store energy as glycogen vs. fat. My weight fluctuates quite a bit because I find that my muscles store glycogen for my workouts (with quite a bit of water) and my body uses that. I don't know if it's because of all the running I do, but I do know that when all I did was walking, that didn't happen.

I think the main thing that people need to realize is that your body does adapt to any workout and if you don't increase your intensity, you don't increase your muscles' ability to utilize energy efficiently. I know a lot of people who walk a couple miles every day, yet never make any fitness progress. You need to be getting your heart rate up during your workout if you want decent results.

hoodoo

Not true. I suggest you read some exercise physiology text books. The only tissues that require glucose are the brain, eye and red blood cells. The total amount of glucose needed is only around 60g per day. Glucose can be created as needed from protein (but not fat). The average male has around 400g of glycogen stored in the liver and another 100g in the muscles. This is sufficient for around 90 minutes of very high intensity exercise. It is enough for a whole day of moderate activity such as jogging. Only elite athletes involved in continuous high intensity activities (eg elite marathon runners) can exhaust these glycogen stores. Cardio training makes the body utilise fat in preference to glucose at higher levels of exertion.

The other energy source very rarely mentioned is ketones. they are produced by the metabolism of fat. Ketones are metabolised more efficiently than glucose, The body can use ketones interchangeably with glucose.

The primary energy source for the body is fat. It is used in all low and moderate intensity activity. The only time you will use glucose is in higher intensity activities such as running. Unless you have a high cardio fitness level you will be unable to burn glucose for more than a few minutes before becoming exhausted.

Just because athletes have high carbohydrate diets doesn't mean anyone else should. The vast majority of what athletes do has no solid scientific evidence to support it. For example there is no valid experimental evidence at all to support warm-ups or stretching but all athletes do it.

Humans have evolved to do around 4-6 hours per day of brisk walking. You can't replace that by doing two or three short high intensity sessions per week.

T. Kallmyer

I suggest you read biology text books. Every cell in you body uses glucose. It is the raw product in cellular respiration.

turbo

I suggest you read his post again. He says that the only organs that *require* glucose is limited. This is correct.

Of course, glucose is important for the brain, but when subjected to a low carbohydrate diet, the body compensates by producing ketones. This supply added to the glucose that your body synthesizes from other sources (like proteins) is enough for your body.

Dave C.

The article that drew me into this world of diet/fitness blogs was Mark Sisson's entitled "The Case Against Cardio." But what Mark spoke out against was long-duration, high intensity cardio practiced by many. What he endorses, and I follow, is a mixture of low-level cardio of long duration with high-intensity effort. This is meant to mimic our ancestors who spent long hours walking the plains but had to do some high intenstiy bursts either to eat or avoid being eaten. I think it's a good compromise between the two camps.

Jay Andrew Allen

I just get on my bike and ride. Or commute to work. For me, the best exercise is the kind that's integrated with my life - not the kind that requires a special, time-eating trip to the gym.

Heather

And a very good point-- the best exercise is the type someone can and will stick to.

Several studies have shown an inverse relationship between intensity and exercise program adherence. Now, a relationship doesn't mean everyone, but it does remind us that each person is different.

And can anyone really argue that it's better to do something good with consistency than to go all out doing things and then stop?

Christine

So true. The only exercise I enjoy is spending time on the treadmill. Sure, it doesn't burn as many calories as running or tennis, but I ENJOY it, so I make sure I set aside time to do my daily miles.

Jim Biancolo

I'm just starting to notice more posts along the "intervals are not the end all and be all of training" lines (as much as I love my Tabatas). Tide might be turning. Anyway, I'm betting you'll dig this post by Lyle McDonald (which is not really about pole vaulting): Pole Vault your way to a Hot Body (title is tongue-in-cheek, don't be put off).

Mike OD - IF Life

Sprinting develops more fast twitch fibers, increases mitochrondia (fat burning furnaces) and it more along the lines of what our bodies were meant to do. But sprinting is not for everyone just starting out too. Longer lower HR activities also do well to burn some fat assuming your diet is on track. But most people push themselves too much in their cardio, go too long, do waste muscle with excessive cortisol and then wash it all down with some sugar water like Gatorade. I've seen plenty of people not loose weight and spend hours a day doing cardio and wonder why. Focus on diet first...that's where all the results come from. When it comes to weight loss...intervals work....long slow cardio works....it all works...but only if the diet is on.

The real answer for a lifetime of health is an active lifestyle...find activities you enjoy doing and then just do them consistently. I would say something with alternating intensities would be ideal. I hate jogging....but I love to run fast....that and if you ever find a use for needing to pace myself for 10miles vs all all out sprint for survival please inform me. I may not be able to run 26 miles...and I will never find a real need to do so...but I may have to run for a reason...and if I can't get away in a few hundred yards then there will be no need to pace myself for the next 2 hours. As they say in the wild....if a bear is chasing you...you don't have to be faster than the bear...just faster than the guy next to you. ;)

Karlo@shape-yourself.net

Of course cardio is not a waste of time. In my experience doing cardio is the second most important thing next to your nutrition plan. But in some cases, even doing only cardio with bad nutrition is doing miracles for some people.

I have a friend who eats tons of sugar, but does really a huge amounts of cardio, and he has an 8-pack. I don't get it really, but apparently it is working. Once more it is proven that everything is individual when it comes to shaping your body.

Mike OD - IF Life

Your friend can also get diabetes, accelerate ageing, increase inflammation and risks of heart disease and cancer too. What a person looks like on the outside does not spell the whole picture of health...as there are plenty of people "in shape" that die of heart attacks or get cancer. Besides what's the point of needing to do hours of cardio to burn off all the sugar in one's diet?

Karlo

I know that what he does is not healthy, I just wanted to say that he manages to have 8-pack with a lot of cardio and junk diet. Imagine what you can do with a lot of cardio and a good diet.

SCal

Cardio isn't always running, you can hit a heavy bag, row and my favorite Burpees.

Joe

I discovered HIIT works by accident. I was walking (fast) for 45 minutes a day. I would run stairs for 15 minutes when I did not have time to walk. I soon found the 15 minutes did more for me than the 45. My stair running consisted of 2 rounds as hard as I could go and 1 to 2 rounds at medium intensity to catch my breath. Not a prefect design but it worked for me. At the time I had never heard of HIIT.

Never teh Bride

I would never give up my beloved cardio. I do lift weights, but I never feel as GOOD after a lifting session as I do after a cardio session. I don't know if it's endorphins or what, but I love cardio!

Mike OD - IF Life

Endorphins are the body's response to a tramatic event and prolonging pain....it's not a good thing to have this. Pain meds feel good too....but don't think people are going to recommend taking those everyday. Do cardio in moderation...as more is not better and there is a set point of diminishing returns to your long term health.

Never teh Bride

Endorphins are also released during excitement, orgasm, over-exposure to light, acupuncture, and strenuous non-injurious exercise.

A few minutes of research was all it took to find all that out.

Mike OD - IF Life

and a few more minutes will let you find out how "excessive" cardio is damaging and not the answer to optimal health and longevity. I don't know your specific cardio routine, calorie intake, macronutrient ratios, antioxidant intake and recovery needs....but in excess it is damaging...in moderation it provides benefit. I think we can agree to that. Also look at any group of humans living long and into the centurian mark...you will find at the heart of it an active lifestyle (among other low stress factors)...not an elliptical with HR monitor.

Never teh Bride

We can definitely agree on that!

My cardio routine is by no means excessive, which is why I was unsure of why you responded like you did.

Mike OD - IF Life

Scott Kustes - Modern Forager

Cardio has its place in a training regimen. That place is as a very small part of the overall training. As Mike OD said, low intensity training preferentially shuttles the body's energies towards maintaining slow-twitch fibers. Slow-twitch fibers do not generate power; fast-twitch fibers are the power houses. Fast-twitch fibers make you sprint faster, jump higher, and throw a ball farther.

Here's a bit about the aerobic system. The first life on earth was anaerobic. The aerobic system was a later evolutionary add-on, intended as a way to recharge the anaerobic system, not as the main fitness workhorse. The problem is that so much training focuses solely on aerobic training and none on anaerobic training. That's the "we only see what we can measure" problem...researchers could only devise simple ways of measuring output on long-distance runs, such as VO2 Max, etc. It's difficult to hook a sprinter up on a treadmill.

Anaerobic training has carryovers to the aerobic base...go do the CrossFit workouts for 3 months and see if your mile time improves. Aerobic training doesn't have carryovers to anaerobic base and is actually detrimental to anaerobic capacity and power. There's a reason that marathoners look like they do while sprinters look like they do.

The main benefit of cardio is as a form of active recovery from harder training sessions. True, you wouldn't be an out-of-shape 75-year old on training program for a 20-year old sprinter, but higher intensity will always produce better results as it sets in motion a better hormonal environment...it's not all about calories.

Cheers
Scott Kustes

Joe

Fast-twitch fibers also help us ward off the affects of aging!!

Mike OD - IF Life

Good point Joe. From PubMed:

"To assess the age-related loss of muscle mass and to determine the mechanisms behind this aging atrophy, the muscle structure and fiber type composition have been estimated, using invasive and noninvasive techniques. Limb muscles from older men and women are 25-35% smaller and have significantly more fat and connective tissue than limb muscles from younger individuals. Comparisons of muscle biopsies from younger and older individuals reveal that type 2 (fast-twitch) fibers are smaller in the old, while the size of type 1 (slow-twitch) fibers is much less affected. Studies of whole muscle cross sections also show a significantly smaller number of muscle fibers, a significantly lower relative type 2 fiber area, and a significant increase in fiber type grouping with increasing age. These results indicate a gradual decrease in size/volume with advancing age, accompanied by a replacement by fat and connective tissue. This aging atrophy seems to be due to a reduction in both number and size of muscle fibers, mainly of type 2, and is to some extent caused by a slowly progressive neurogenic process."

Getting rid of or not training Type II fast twitch fibers is just a way to increase the ageing process. Of course one can see great health by a combination of lifting weights, higher intensity activities/intervals and active lifestyle activities (I refuse to use the word cardio).

I think the problem is in definition of the word "cardio"....as one person may call it 20 min of walking...someone else may go jog for 3 hours....and anywhere in between. It would be better to break down specific activities and protocols used...as this is too wide a definition. (but most people think of it as hours doing something...which is excess in my book)

Quito

I think the problem is in definition of the word "cardio"

Good point. There's also a problem in the definition of the phrase not a waste of time.

Being a bit snobby, I've done cardio workouts at my university gym holding my heart rate above 160 for an hour (my MHR is in the 190s - I hit 192 in last week's 5K). I'm a sweat-spraying mess when I do this. To many undergrad students briskly walking on nearby machines, the sight of a sweat lathered professor in his 50s is pretty disgusting. I think we have different definitions of cardio and waste of time.

On the value of cardio - I race, do regular tempo runs, long runs, and speed work, and lift weights twice a week. The best I have felt, though, is after long backpacking or bicycle trips. Ten or more days of this - which is for the most part cardio work of varying intensity - and I feel strong and able to do anything...

Heather

Wait, what does a marathoners look like??
Because, I run marathons (and bicycle centuries) and I am more muscular than most females who don't specifically body-build. (125 lb lean body mass at 5'4)
Except for the absolute elites, there's really not a reliable "look" among endurance athletes.

Scott Kustes - Modern Forager

You know what I mean about what marathoners look like vs. sprinters. Watch the Olympics and I think you can see that one is a build intended for power and the other is a build intended for moving slowly. Go to any of the major runs in your local area and check out the runners. Go to a high school or college track meet. It's not just amongst the elites...it is a fact that sprinters at all levels maintain more muscle mass and more power than distance runners at the same level.

Congrats to you for your nice lean build. But that single data-point is as valid as "my grandfather smoked and drank and lived to be 110."

Cheers
Scott Kustes

Heather

I do go to the local runs. I compete in them. Which is why I say the supposition that endurance athletes look a certain way is flawed. There's an amazing amount of variation there, even among the age group winners.

Nick

The implicit assumption with this reasoning is that athletes look the way they do because of their training, which is somewhat flawed. You can take any of these muscle-bound sprinters and train them for a marathon and they're not going to look a whole lot different. Likewise, you could train a skinny marathoner for sprints and he/she isn't going to start looking like a muscular Olympic sprinter. These elite athletes are born for their event with certain bone structures and genetic tendencies. For amateur sports you get a wide range of builds as the other poster noted. Excess muscle on long-distance runners weighs them down and wastes oxygen.

Fitness_Fanatic

How many years have you been training to get to where you are now?

Spectra

Not all marathoners are "fatter" than sprinters. I run long distances as well, and like Heather, I am very muscular and my legs are very developed. I do mostly steady-state cardio, I guess...but I do HIIT training as well. It's probably best to do both types of cardio for optimal results in your training.

tre paul

I think cardio is good as long as it is building muscle, too. I also think that this is a very individualized process in how the body breaks down muscle and fat and also calorie intake. If I don't change my diet, I can do cardio all I want and I won't lose weight. This is partly to the fact that I eat more because my metabolism is raised and also that my legs gets "mushier" when I run too much. If I run and do not eat right and lift weights, I get bigger! I actually lose weight when I stop and my hips get smaller. The only think that shapes my legs and slims me down is walking, walking uphill, skating, dancing, stairs, or doing nothing. If I lift weights without a trainer, I get bulky in the leg area, also. I think people need to find what works for them because some people lose weight on cardio, and some people like me, are better off doing "activities" 2-3 times a week. For instance, I walk about once a week and and dance in a weekly salsa class. I do not consider these activities "exercise" because I enjoy them and they do not depress me.

JimK

I did "excessive" cardio at first. I started as a 300+ pound sedentary blob of useless flesh. I did slower walks, building speed and time until I hit 90 minutes at 3 MPH. I realized it was sucking so much time out of my day...there had to be a better way.

Then I read about HIIT. I get more benefit in 30 minutes now than I was getting in that long slog. BUT...I needed the slower, longer stuff to build muscles and strengthen my knees. If I had jumped right into the HIIT stuff in the early days I would have needed knee surgery by now. I was wearing braces and ace bandages and icing them *every day*. Now they never hurt and I can take stairs two at a time like I used to.

I've hit a nice mix of cardio, HIIT and weight lifting now that has me losing a steady 2 lbs a week.

The key to all of this is research different methods, try stuff out, be careful and stick with what works for you. Use your common sense. Don't believe crazy promises, hype or anyone who says that they have the One True Answer.

Especially if they're trying to get you to pay for the Answer.

Mang

Cardio is very useful for losing weight. Any type of exercise is good, including walking. However, I lost a lot of weight from skipping 30 minutes every day and now I'm trying to gain weight, so I don't perform cardio at all. I just do resistance training.

No More Fat Dad

I had a real world experience that highlighted the difference between interval training and steady-state cardio.

I've been on an interval program for the past 3 months, my goal be weight loss. I have progressed to the point where I am doing 30 second sprints at 11.5 MPH 6 times per session.

One of my goals of getting fit has been to take, and pass, the Navy SEAL Fitness Challenge being held in Dearborn, MI next month.

The final test in the Challenge is to run 1.5 miles in 12 minutes or less. I figured I have been doing intervals for 3 months at a very high speed, running a mile and a half at a 7.5 MPH pace should be easy.

HA! I tried my first 1.5 mile run last week and could only get a little over a half mile in before I had to walk for a little while.

I was pretty discouraged, but that's when I realized interval training is good for fat loss & rev'ing up the metabolism, but I need to run for distance (steady-state cardio) if I want to be able to finish that 1.5 mile run.

So I'm now adding 2 days of steady-state cardio to my program to balance everything out.

Fitness_Fanatic

It took my several years to adjust to HIIT. Even now it's tough.

Spectra

I definitely don't think of cardio as a waste of time. When I started out with my exercise routine, I definitely couldn't handle HIIT because I was pretty much a blob. I started with walking, then I added running intervals (after about 3 months). Once I could run a mile or something like that, I started to really amp it up to try and lose weight quickly.

I eat a relatively clean diet, but I allow myself a few treats here and there. I rely on my cardio to burn off the extra calories in my diet. I also do strength training so I develop my muscle strength and definition. As a result, I have a very "ripped" looking body...lots of muscle definition, low percent body fat.

Tasz

Quite timely for me - I have started training for a 10km run in approx 3 months time. I do two weight training sessions a week, 3 sessions of long steady distance at a fairly low heart rate (an hour at the moment), with lots of walking (the dog, which doesn't really get the heart rate up). In time, as my fitness improves I will increase the speed on my long steady distance to maintain an improved heart rate and do interval training to increase my speed...

cari

I think the whole question of what constitutes valuable exercise is an interesting one... I also think that at the end of the day what is sustainable is really what counts most. I have a webpage http://www.ditch-diets-live-light.com/what-is-exercise.html that tackles this exact question.
Cari

sexybigbeauty

To me, I like to lose weight by dancing. I like dancing and cannot live wothout it.

Luckily, I found so many big freinds who share the same hobbie with me in hot big people&celebrity dating club
www.plusmeet.com

It works better when you lose weight with partners. LOL

David

Everyone needs to exercise. It should not be viewed as something intended for weight loss only.

Robert Mayer

The heart (and lungs, for that matter) is a muscle like any other. You can train it in different ways for different things. I think there is a certain benefit to long, raised heart rate that contributes to cardiovascular endurance in a way that HIIT doesn't match the same way.

Lady G

Great to have this discussion and bring the issues to light. Like most things in life, I think it's not a matter of one or the other when it comes whether cardio, HIIT, or weights is most important - it's somewhere in between - a balanced mixture of everything is important!
Unfortunately sometimes it's easier to stuck on the one thing we love!

Razwell

To Modern Forager

The sprinter vs martahoner argument is a FALLACY. Lyle McDonald TEARS it to shreds.

75 % of an elite Olympic sprinters tyraining is at LOW intensity. Sprinters, when they do sprint (whioch does not comprise that much) it does not even remorely resemble HIIT - AT ALL.

Completely different rest times.

The MAIN difference is sprinters LIFT. They got that way LIFTING and TOTAL TRAINING VOLUME , 75 % of whcih is LOW intensity.

Another HIIT promoter........

Charles

I have seen the pendulum swinging too far to the super intense recommendations.

Partly because the people who are the loudest fitness promoters are 20 year old athletes and personal trainers. When I was a 20 year old athelte I was lifting everyday, sprinting and jumping, doing cardio, and walking or riding my bike all over Boston.

Now, that I have a little more perspective I realize that almost everyone over 25 has joint issues like knee pain or back pain which makes it hard to train at high intensities.

HIIT is only for fit people with great joints, so it has limited appeal.

I once worked with a 350 pound woman, and she would be out of breath after 2 minutes on a stationary bike with no resistance.

I like HIIT for people who can do it, but the reality is that a lot of people can't do it.

Why Cardio is NOT a Waste of Time

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