Does running break down muscle?

Question

I heard it does. Can someone please explain how and why? Also, if it does, is there anyway I can run that will burn fat instead or not break down muscle?

Answer 1

You have to work out really hard to break down muscle. If the next day you are sore, you've done it! soreness it the muscle damaged. So you see, no pain no gain its actually stupid and the opposite. Jogging real slow or walking burns muscle and wont break down the muscle. If you work out too hard, your body switches from fat burning to a more efficient fuel glycogen

Answer 2

Any exercise builds up the muscles being used  - PROVIDED you are eating enough PROTEIN for you body to use for thebuilding.

Muscle gets broken down from exercise only when the body is so short of energy that there is no more fat left to break down. This very rarely happens outside of serious starvation when people have nothing to eat for months, such as in famines or concentration camps.....or in anorexia when they starve themselves on purpose.

Answer 3

Your body will burn fat first, if you keep running for long enough periods of time, the body will start to burn muscle. Runners need to eat a lot of carbohydrates. If you have a lot of fat to burn you probably dont need to worry.