It’s the most
well-known and common piece of equipment in any gym, yet recent research
suggests you might want to avoid the treadmill all together during your gym
sessions, and here’s why (we’ve missed out the reason that it’s deathly boring,
just so you know):
# 1. Lowers The Muscle
Building Hormone Testosterone
According
to research published in the Journal of American College Sports Medicine,
evidence suggests men who participate in chronic endurance training display
mild degrees of reproductive system abnormalities i.e. it detrimentally affects
their twig and 2 berries. The major abnormalities noted are reduced resting
levels of testosterone, altered pituitary release of luteinizing hormone and
altered sperm characteristics. All in all not great news for guys since testosterone
is a hormone involved in everything from muscle growth to libido.
# 2. Increases The
Stress Hormone Cortisol
According to research conducted at the Laboratory of Motrice in
France, ‘a catabolic tendency (breaking down muscle)
occurs during a long distance run’ adding ‘cortisol levels can reach
approximately 15-fold basal (normal) levels.’ (G.Lac and P. Berthon, 2000.) It
does this since under stressful conditions cortisol
provides the body with protein for energy production through gluconeogenesis, the
process of breaking down the muscle and converting amino acids into useable
carbohydrate (glucose) in the liver. Furthermore according to research
conducted at the University of California, under
stressful conditions cortisol can also move fat from storage depots and
relocate it to fat cell deposits deep in the abdomen, a reason why high
cortisol levels are associated with fat storage particularly around the stomach
(E,S. Epel, et al, 2000) and if that’s not bad enough, it can also
suppress the body’s immune system making you more susceptible to illness. Put
simply this means you should avoid lengthy stints on the treadmill if you want
to avoid a fat stomach, tiny biceps and a poor immune system. One way to
effectively combat this catabolic break down of muscle and increase in fat is
to supplement your workout with an intra-workout formula such as Exceed.
Containing Branch Chain Amino Acids and the amino acid glutamine, studies show
these not only help prevent the catabolic breakdown of muscle but also according
to research at the Biomedical Research Centre at the University
College of Dublin, such ingredients have also proved so effective they are
actually used to treat patients with inflammatory conditions such as infection
and injury. (540g of Exceed is available from Myprotein.com
for £19.49.) http://www.myprotein.com/uk/products/exceed
# 3. It Causes
Injury
According to the Sports and Trauma Research Group
at the University Hospital of Linköping, Sweden, runners of all distances are
more prone to injury to compared to other forms of cardio such as swimming and
cycling. ‘Hamstring strain and tendinitis were most common in sprinters,
backache and hip problems were most common in middle-distance runners, and foot
problems were most common in marathon runners.’ (Jack Lysholm, MD, PhD and Jorgen Wiklander, MPE, 1987.) So try avoiding the treadmill, put on your
speedos and go for a swim instead. Since it’s far easier on your joints and
burns just as many calories.
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