fictor wrote:Does not all forms of exercise have a catabolic effect as you do it? I mean, the anabolic state comes afterwards, when your body rebuilds the torn muscle tissue.
Yes, but the aerobic exhausting type of exercise has a catabolic influence on your hormones,
whereas the anaerobic short sets of intensive exercise has more of an anabolic influence.
Thats why you will never see a bodybuilder run a marathon,
but he will need to work out intensively with short sets of exercise.
While running long distance, he would be in a catabolic state,
also utilizing muscle protein for energy.
I really cant see how any form of exercise can make you loose muscle mass, unless you exercise very, very hard/long and do not eat enough energy and/or protein to rebuild the muscle tissue afterwords.
I mean, all kind of physical activity "damages" the muscle to some degree (catabolic), and when the activity stops, the body repairs itself, resulting in stronger/bigger muscles.
The type of exercise matters A LOT.
As i said, you will never see a bodybuilder run a marathon,
even when constantly supplied with energy.
Aerobic exercises put your body in a different energy- and hormonal state
than anaerobic exercises.
When you run a marathon, there is not that much load on your muscles with every step,
contrary to muscle-building exercises.
With the latter you intend to build up a 'pump' in your muscles 'until they get stuck'.
With the former you intend to prevent a build up of that 'pump' (lactic acid), as that would stop you from going on.
The 'pump' stimulates muscle volume.
Aerobic exercises focus on stimulating aerobic fitness; how efficiently the body utilizes oxygen in order to create energy. (the cardiovascular and circulatory system)
In anaerobic exercises the need for energy per time unit is much, much bigger,
so that the body has to create the energy without oxygen.
A whole different ballgame, with very different effects on hormones.