Is it better to run before or after your training routine

When building a training routine that combines cardio and strength training, a key question often arises: should you run before or after your training?

The answer is not as simple as one size. The best time depends on your goals: that you want to develop muscles, lose fat, improve endurance or simply increase the overall physical form. Understanding the physiology of energy systems, muscle fatigue and hormonal responses helps you choose the most effective order. Let’s explore science so that you can train more intelligently.

Understand simultaneous training

The simultaneous training refers to the combination of aerobic (cardio) and anaerobic (force) exercises within the same session or the same training program. Although the two forms of exercise offer significant health and performance advantages, the order in which they are made can have a significant impact on adaptations such as muscle growth, strength and endurance.

Key considerations

1. Your main objective

• Fat loss: Cardio After Weights can be more effective for fat oxidation. Halterophilia exhausts glycogen, encouraging the body to burn fat during the next race.
• Muscle gain (hypertrophy): Cardio After is preferable. Doing cardio first can reduce resistance, output power and neuromuscular efficiency during resistance training, potentially blunt muscle gains.
• Endurance performance: Cardio Before May be suitable for runners, triathletes or cyclists focusing on the development of endurance. Prioritizing the race allows better technique and better stimulation when the body is the coolest.

2. Research and energy scientifications

Research shows that The order of exercise counts For performance results:

• Cardio before weight: Studies report a decrease in resistance performance when the aerobic exercise precedes resistance training, especially for the low force of the body.
• Cardio weight: Resistance training first has less impact on subsequent aerobic performance and can even improve fat oxidation after exercise.
• First run for endurance: A study by Hansen et al. (2005) have shown that The training order should correspond to your priority– What made endurance training first made greater aerobic progress.
• For fat loss: Total energy expenditure is the most important for fat loss, not on the order of exercise. However, some evidence suggests Cardio after weights can improve fat oxidation When the glycogen is low.

For what?

• Strength training is based strongly on Adenosine triphosphate-phosphocreatine (ATP-PC) And anaerobic glycolysis.
• Run over glycogen Stores and induced central fatiguealteration of neuromuscular coordination.

3. Fatigue and hormonal effects

• Doing cardio before resistance training can increase cortisol levelsThis can reduce the levels of anabolic hormones such as testosterone and alter the recovery of the muscles.
• Running after weights can improve Growth hormone (GH) And catecholamine Answer, in particular in high intensity circuits (Schwanbeck et al., 2020).

4. Risk of recovery and injury

• Run before strength May increase the risk of poor lifting form due to pre-fatty, especially in the movements composed such as squats and lifting earth.
• Run after weights May be more difficult psychologically, but less risky biomechanically if it is made at a moderate pace.

Running after strength training: before and drawbacks

Pros

1. Prioritizes muscle and strength gains
2. Improves fat burn after training
3. Improved hormonal environment

Disadvantages

1. Higher risk of fatigue
2. May not agree to endurance priorities

Practical recommendations by objective

Shared day training strategy

If optimal performance in both modalities are your goal (for example, strength and cardio), consider Division sessions::

• Morning: Strength training
• Evening: Cardio (or vice versa)
• Alternative training days: Lun (Lift), Mar (Run)
• Authorize at least 6 hours Between the sessions to maximize adaptation (Wilson et al., 2012)

Final verdict: adapt it to your goal

There is no better universal time to run –The context counts.

• Do you want to become stronger and grow muscles? Lift first.
• Training for a race or build endurance? Run first.
• Are you trying to lose fat? Choose the timing that helps you burn more calories regularly.

Understand how epinephrine, cortisol, use of glycogen and neuromuscular fatigue Playing in the training order gives you a powerful advantage in the design of the program.

References

1. Wilson, JM, et al. (2012). Simultaneous training: a meta-analysis examining the interference of aerobic and resistance exercises. Journal of Force and Conditioning Research, 26(8), 2293–2307. https://doi.org/10.1519/jsc.0b013e31823a3e2d
2. Hansen, D., et al. (2005). The effect of training the exercise on physical form, coronary risk factors and psychological well-being in adults with obesity. Obesity reviews, 6(1), 36–45.
3. Schumann, M., et al. (2014). Cardio first or force first? Impact of the exercise sequence on health and performance results. Sports medicine, 44(2), 217–230.
4. Cathos, El Eth. (2013). Simultaneous training in elderly men: effects on functional capacity and muscle strength. Journal of Force and Conditioning Research.
5. Kang, H., et al. (2009). Effects of sequencing resistance and aerobic exercise in women on acute hormonal responses and long -term training adaptations. European Journal of Applied Physiology.
6. Schwanbeck, S., et al. (2020). Simultaneous training and muscular hypertrophy: is the interference effect? Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology.