Is it a big no-no to do cardio after strength training? An in-depth analysis of the reasons

　　In the field of fitness, whether it is appropriate to perform aerobic exercise after strength training has always been a controversial topic. Some people believe that combining the two can improve training results, while others firmly believe that aerobic exercise after strength training is a taboo. Let's analyze the reasons in detail below.

Imbalanced hormone levels

　　increased cortisol secretion: Strength training followed by aerobic exercise further increases cortisol secretion. Cortisol is a stress hormone. Excessive cortisol levels inhibit protein synthesis, leading to accelerated muscle breakdown, which is not conducive to strength growth and muscle recovery.

　　androgen suppression: Aerobic exercise may suppress the production of androgens, which play a key role in muscle growth and strength gains. Performing aerobic exercise after strength training will affect the normal levels of male hormones, thus reducing the training effect.

Risk of muscle breakdown

　　muscle glycogen depletion: Strength training will consume a large amount of muscle glycogen. During aerobic exercise, the body will increase the decomposition of muscle protein to obtain energy due to the lack of sufficient muscle glycogen supply, resulting in a reduction in muscle mass.

　　nerve muscle inhibition: Continuous strength training and aerobic exercise will over-fatigue the neuromuscular system and cause neuromuscular inhibition, which will affect the normal function and recovery of muscles and increase the risk of muscle breakdown.

Discount on training effect

　　Fatigue accumulation: Strength training itself will cause fatigue in the body, and subsequent aerobic training will further accumulate fatigue, causing the body to be unable to perform at its optimal level in subsequent training, affecting strength growth and sports performance.

　　Energy metabolism conversion problem: Strength training and aerobic energy metabolism are different. If you perform aerobic exercise directly after strength training, it will be difficult for the body to quickly adapt to the conversion of energy metabolism, and it will not be able to give full play to the advantages of the two sports, reducing the overall training effect.

Increased incidence of sports injuries

　　Slow body reaction: After strength training, the body is in a state of fatigue. If you perform aerobic exercise at this time, the body's response ability and coordination will decrease, increasing the possibility of sports injuries.

　　Increased pressure on joints: Continuous exercise will continue to increase the pressure on the joints, especially after strength training, the joints are already under a certain load. Performing aerobic exercise will further increase the burden on the joints and easily cause joint damage.

　　Understanding the characteristics of strength training and aerobic exercise and the interaction between them is crucial to developing a reasonable training plan. During the fitness process, we should choose appropriate exercise methods and training sequences based on our own training goals and physical condition.