Thursday, November 7, 2024
Research

Doing cardio before weight training (in the same session) negatively affects strength.

(Markov et al., 2021)

Strength training and endurance training produce opposing adaptations to a degree.

Markov et al., 2021, a meta-analysis of 15 trials, examined the acute effects of aerobic exercise on muscle strength.

Overall, aerobic training caused a moderate decline in muscle strength. Aerobic exercise over 30-minute with moderate-high intensity before strength training had a more significant effect.

Practical application

  • If feasible and time is not an issue, do cardio and strength training in two separate sessions. Ideally, keep them away from each other for at least 6 hours.
  • Low-intensity cardio like walking probably won’t affect strength negatively to a larger degree.
  • If you have to do cardio and strength training in the same session, do cardio after the weight training session and keep the cardio to low intensity. 
  • If you are doing moderate-high intensity aerobic training in the same sessions as weight training, keep aerobic training under 30 mins.

Reference:

Markov A, Chaabene H, Hauser L, Behm S, Bloch W, Puta C, Granacher U. Acute Effects of Aerobic Exercise on Muscle Strength and Power in Trained Male Individuals: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis. Sports Med. 2021 Dec 8