CHRONIC CARDIO
ALERT: Chronic cardio (too high intensity, too often):
- elevates cortisol levels so you’re locked in fight-or-flight response
- maxes out your adrenal glands
- impairs immune function
- suppresses testosterone
- encourages chronic/systemic inflammation
- destroys white blood cells
Chronic cardio teaches your body to prefer burning glucose to fat, increases sugar cravings, and traps you in fat-storing mode. Using the Maffetone Formula and moving often within your optimal fat burning zone, you will (over time) switch from a glucose burner to a fat burner.
A very easy way to determine your fat burning vs. carb burning aerobic level is to subtract your age from 180 (ex. For a 45-year-old, this would be 180 – 45 = 135).
180 – your age = your maximum aerobic training heartrate
The goal here is to not go over that heart rate, even for a second. There is no medal for punishing your body every day. Keep it low and slow and enjoy feeling great and more alive after a low intensity work out, and the long-term benefit will have you begin to burn more fat for fuel then carbs.
For more background on Dr. Maffetone and how he developed this formula please check out this article on his website: https://philmaffetone.com/180-formula/
The health benefits from obtaining sufficient aerobic exercise (using the Maffetone Formula) and general movement include:
- Cardiovascular function is optimized as capillary profusion is increased
- muscle mitochondria multiply, function more efficiently, and get better at burning fat
- stroke volume of the heart increases (amount of blood pumped with each beat)
- lung capacity improves as a function of receiving more oxygen from the cardiovascular system.
A strong base of low-level aerobic conditioning strengthens bones, joints, and connective tissues, thereby enhancing performance and recovery, minimizing injury risk, and making the body more resilient for the high intensity workouts that complement a complete fitness program. Aerobic exercise also boosts the immune system by optimizing the flow of anti-aging hormones and by building a more efficient circulatory system.
While high intensity workouts are critical for peak performance and longevity, the key is to make them brief, interspersed with extensive recovery, and conducted only in the presence of a strong aerobic conditioning base.
Chronic cardio also increases one’s risk of injury and trauma to the joints and connective tissues and jumpstarts an undesirable metabolic chain reaction. When heart rates outside the aerobic, fat-burning zone are sustained, the body begins to burn a greater percentage of glucose for fuel, which leads to sugar cravings after the workout, which leads to spikes in insulin production, which leads to more fat storage.
Chronic Cardio indeed burns stored energy, but it stimulates a corresponding increase in appetite, along with hormonal changes that promote fat storage after the workout is over.
We respond both consciously and subconsciously to a workout by being less active and eating more calories in the aftermath. Consciously, we reward ourselves for completing the effort by seeking more rest and relaxation options and indulging in foods we might not ordinarily eat if we didn’t grant ourselves permission.
