09/06/2024
Strength Training versus Cardio versus a Combination of both... Stanford NIH study sets the record straight.
People ask me all the time "what did I do different, in terms of my Exercise, when I was getting ready for a show? I tell them that I didn't change much, except that I cut out all Aerobic type exercise. I always lift weights (resistance training) 4-5 days a week for about 1 hour each workout. That didn't change whether I was getting ready for a show or not. What did change was I would quit my men's soccer and basketball leagues for at least the 20 weeks leading up to my contest. When I was dieting down for a show to lose bodyfat, I did everything I could to hold on to all the muscle that I had worked for. There were a couple shows that I didn't cut out the cardio (basketball and soccer), and I lost a good 10-12 lbs of muscle by the time I stepped on stage, And for all the other shows that I did cut out that cardio, I not only didn't lose all that muscle, I was actually able to add a few lbs of muscle during those 20 weeks of dieting down.
For the study, they looked at A1C levels (test for average blood sugars over a 2-3 months timespan) AND body composition (Muscle to Fat ratio) of 186 individuals. They broke the 186 individuals up into 3 groups. One group only performed Strength Training (ST), one group only Cardio (AER), and one group both Strength Training and Cardio (Comb). They looked at initial readings of each individual, and then again after 9 months.
What they found after 9 months was a significant reduction in A1C of the Strength Training group. But they found NO significant reduction of A1C in either the Cardio (AER) group or even the combination group (COMB-ST and AER)!
In addition. Lean mass relative to fat mass ONLY increased in the Strength Training group. It did not increase in the Cardio group or even the Combination group!
So for the people that asked "why was I hating on Orange Theory", it just comes down to science (if it was beneficial, trust me, I would offer those same type of workouts at Wiefit!). Not only does that type of workout not help you change your body composition (it can actually make it worse), it also does not improve overall health as indicated by A1C levels.
NOTE: Hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c) is a blood test that measures a person's average blood sugar level over the past two to three months. High A1C is used to determine diabetes and prediabetes. High blood sugars cause increased triglycerides, higher bodyfat, greater inflammation, greater risk of cancer, joint problems, neurological issues such as depression and anxiety, and a host of many other problems.
This study was funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH; R01DK081371).