Aerobic Exercise Always Bad?

scoobydoo

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Jan 7, 2020
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So this forum is the first that has really opened my eyes to some of the downfalls of aerobic exercise (increase prolactin, estrogen, decrease in androgens etc) but I’m curious if there is a safe length of time that wouldn’t be super detrimental
I have recently gotten into Spartan races and love them! I’ve always had a gift for running and love the training
If I were to specialize in shorter distances such as 3 mile and 6 mile races my training would rarely go over an hour long and would alternate from HIIT to hour long low stead state cardio
Do you think this is a short enough distance to train without all the negative stuff of say a marathon runner?
 

cyclops

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May 30, 2017
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I think if you really genuinely enjoy it that plays a big part in making it healthy. Ray has said when people force themselves to exercise because they feel they have to, it makes it much more unhealthy. I think if you're having a truly great time doing it, that would make it much better for you cause your having a fun time.

Also if your mouth is closed the entire time and your not gasping for air, that would be a good.
 

Ulysses

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Feb 13, 2018
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There is definitely truth to the idea that too much aerobic exercise is a very bad thing. A few years ago I got into road cycling and even raced a little bit, and was training 15-20 hours a week. Well, as soon as I stopped, I ballooned and gained 20 lbs from the damage that it did to my metabolism. Furthermore, looking back on my time as a cyclist, I can see that I showed many signs of a high estrogen/serotonin/cortisol personality: the only time i ever felt "alive" was when I was on my bike, or immediately after finishing a ride; otherwise i was irritable, aggressive, and low energy.

Lost most of that weight through minimizing PUFA and lifting weights. I tried cutting out aerobics entirely, but I started feeling really really bad. Now I do 30 mins a day, every day -- working just under threshold on the days i lift weights (3-4x a week), doing HIIT with 1.75x LT intervals (60 seconds on/30 seconds recovery) on the days I don't. The total training volume of this regime is less than 4 hours of aerobics per week, pretty damn low by endurance athlete standards, but I think it gives me all the benefits (improved mood, circulation, sleep etc.) with little to no downside. I recover from these bouts almost immediately and never feel run down; sometimes i do the threshold work before i lift and have never noticed it affecting my subsequent performance
 
OP
S

scoobydoo

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Jan 7, 2020
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384
There is definitely truth to the idea that too much aerobic exercise is a very bad thing. A few years ago I got into road cycling and even raced a little bit, and was training 15-20 hours a week. Well, as soon as I stopped, I ballooned and gained 20 lbs from the damage that it did to my metabolism. Furthermore, looking back on my time as a cyclist, I can see that I showed many signs of a high estrogen/serotonin/cortisol personality: the only time i ever felt "alive" was when I was on my bike, or immediately after finishing a ride; otherwise i was irritable, aggressive, and low energy.

Lost most of that weight through minimizing PUFA and lifting weights. I tried cutting out aerobics entirely, but I started feeling really really bad. Now I do 30 mins a day, every day -- working just under threshold on the days i lift weights (3-4x a week), doing HIIT with 1.75x LT intervals (60 seconds on/30 seconds recovery) on the days I don't. The total training volume of this regime is less than 4 hours of aerobics per week, pretty damn low by endurance athlete standards, but I think it gives me all the benefits (improved mood, circulation, sleep etc.) with little to no downside. I recover from these bouts almost immediately and never feel run down; sometimes i do the threshold work before i lift and have never noticed it affecting my subsequent performance[/QUOTE


Thanks for sharing. I seem to have the same weird serotonin personality. I sometimes find myself fantasizing over doing intense brutal workouts and being on top of the podium of the races I compete in. But why is this so important for me? If I have no libido, or happiness why do I still crave such a title, that really holds no meaning...
 

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