Proponents of LSD claim that we were literally designed to run long distances at a steady pace. That ancient man chased his prey for miles and miles before killing them. And, even if this hunting theory turns out to be true ( and there is real debate about this), today's human is much different than they were back then.
The average Neanderthal was about 5'6" and weighed between 140-180 lbs. In 2002, the average man weighed 191 lbs. and the average woman, 164 lbs. Homo Erectus weighed between 88-160 lbs.
That additional weight and general lack of physical strength and conditioning in modern man results in a very high incidence of injuries for LSD runners. ( Item: a recent study by St. Mary's Hospital in San Francisco recorded 90% of marathoners were injured within the previous 12 months.)
In addition, the human body can store enough glycogen in the muscle to allow for about 20 miles of running. That's a lot less than a marathon at 26 miles, 385 yards.
Recent studies have also shown that LSD has a very high inflammatory effect on the body, may scar the heart, cause arrythmias, increases the release of stress hormones, and decreases secretion of testosterone and GH (YIKES!!)
As far as body composition goes, many runners are "skinny fat." That is, they are not lean. They have little muscle mass and high ratios of body fat. LSD catabolizes muscle and promotes free radical damage through oxidation of fat. And loss of fast-twitch muscle fiber is an indicator of aging.
LSD can actually make you fatter. Huh?
Chris Shugart cites the following study:
In the study, 12,568 runners were tracked for 9 years. The majority of the runners gained body fat and increase waist circumference during that time period, even if they never quit running. Especially the men.
The runners who gained the most fat around their waists were the ones who decreased their mileage, mainly due to the inevitable running injuries. But get this: even runners who maintained or mildly increased their mileage got fatter.
The only runners who didn't get fatter were the ones who significantly increased their mileage, most by 3 times as much running per week.
In other words, unless you get to near-marathoner level, running makes you fatter as you age. And if you ever have to quit or cut back due to life's demands or injury, your endurance-exercise adapted body will quickly pack on body fat and your waist size will dramatically increase.
And for strength and power athletes ( as well as for those who just want to be fit, lean, and strong), using LSD is training the wrong energy systems. LSD utilizes the aerobic energy system, and not the ATP/CP and glytolitic energy systems used in their sports. Remember, you must train like you play.
LSD also utilizes the wrong muscle fiber type for strength athletes- slow twitch Type I fibers.
LSD reduces flexibility and mobility:
- shortened hip flexors
- reduced psoas activation
- reduced hip extension
- decreased stride length
- increased chronic overuse injuries
For most athletes ( soccer, football, basketball, volleyball, MMA, baseball, rugby, etc.), interval training mimics what they do in game situations. And multi-planar (multi-directional)
training makes much more sense than training like runners, in one plane of motion only.
So, for my clients ( athletes and non-athletes alike), I recommend conditioning, not "cardio". "Punisher" sled pushes and pulls. Weight complexes, kettlebells, and repeated-bout sprints.Tabata and other short bursts of high-intensity intervals.
If you want to go for a long, brisk walk, I will recommend it highly. But cut out the LSD. It's legal, but it's just plain bad for you.
"Women who seek to be equal with men lack ambition." Timothy Leary ( 1920-1996)
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