One of the most persistent debates in fitness — whether combining cardio and strength training undermines the results of each — just got a thorough scientific review.
Episode 16 of The Research Debrief breaks down a newly published meta-analysis examining the effects of concurrent training, defined in scientific literature as combining aerobic and resistance training, on body composition in middle-aged and older adults.
This Episode Covers:
- What concurrent training is, why researchers study it separately from cardio and strength alone, and the molecular science behind the so-called interference effect.
- Whether adding cardio to a strength program negatively impacts muscle size, strength, or power.
- Whether adding strength training to an endurance program compromises aerobic fitness gains .
- Why combining strength and cardio in the same session eliminates the post-workout calorie-burning effect that strength training alone produces, and what that means for how combination classes are marketed.
- How operators and fitness professionals can use this research to have more precise goal-setting conversations with members and correct common misconceptions that may be steering them toward the wrong programming.
📚 Access the show notes page for links to the research papers discussed on our website.
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