long distance running and maintaining muscle.

M

MaLadyness

0
i've got somewhat of a catch 22. tell me if i'm wrong....thanks!

i have naturally muscular legs. they are not huge, but there's some good muscle mass there. i'm going to start jogging for exercise and i've been doing some reading into the ways jogging/long distance running affects your leg muscles. i have read that it helps to "activate" the slow twitch muscle fibers. they create leaner muscle, i guess. which is kinda what i'm looking for. but i have also read that long distance jogging/running can lead to "muscle wasting". that in turn means less fat burned during a workout......so, my question is: how can i jog to keep my legs lookin lean while maintaining a healthy amount of muscle needed to continue to burn a decent amount of calories? what sort of leg exercises can be done without building up the fast twitch muscle fibers? i don't want to jog and get lean muscle only to do squats/lunges/etc. to make them bulk back up. (i use the word "bulk" lightly.)

i don't want to lose my muscle, just get it longer and leaner. is there a good combo that can get me the results i'm dreaming of? or am i just....dreaming.
 
I'd like to see that article. If anything, your body should become more proficient at utilizing fat for energy as you become more fit.

And honestly, I wouldn't worry about your muscles becoming too big. Visible muscle growth isn't something that happens accidently.
 
I have legs like that as well and I'm a runner-distance runner (half marathons and marathons). I haven't experienced muscle wasting since starting running but I don't do all slow miles. Twice a week I do tempo runs, once a week I have a hard core sprint interval session and 2 days are slower longer miles. My diet is clean and high in protein. When my protein is high I actually experience a little extra "bulk" (I also use that term lightly). I don't know if some of the reason my legs keep muscle has to do with some of the fast twitch stuff I do or if its just genetics, and maybe partly diet but this works for me. My legs lean out (another lose term for me) but have great muscle tone when I'm keeping to my running schedule, doing a light day of weights/plyos (lots of body weight exercises for legs) and swimming some. Its my understanding that fast twitch fibers are activated through anaerobic exercise-which primarily burns sugar-things like sprints and weights are in this category. Strength exercises that are kept aerobic may help with the kind of muscle tone you are looking for. Ultimately genetics trumps it all and you have to find what works within your own genetic boundaries.
 
thank you so much for your reply! it's hard to know what to do sometimes..it's good to hear from someone with similar "issues". thanks!
 
thanks, Jrahien. you always seem to be more knowledgeable than i.... :D i guess vanity gets the best of me sometimes....okay, most of the time. ha! it's easy for me to get caught up and believe in everything i read. i'll be researching more.
 
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