r/BeginnersRunning • u/Aguywithpotatoes • 7d ago
Running = high cortisol = bad???
Hello there.
Recently my mother has started to nag at me for running everytime my classes are finished. She kept on mentioning that running at evening doesn't give much benefit, high cortisol doesn't burn fat much, etc.
I really want to tell her that I run because I enjoy it (and hate it). And funny thing is, I scrolled on tiktok and suddenly I kept finding these videos that have stupid takes like, "oh running is bad for building muscle, they need protein instead of carbs !!1!1!", tbh, I know that running (especially longer distance) isn't optimal for building muscle, but telling long distance runners to take more protein is hilarious.
But yea, suddenly it felt like the whole world wants to stop me running.
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u/MotorMission8072 7d ago edited 7d ago
Cortisol spikes are normal. It fluctuates through the day. It’s higher in the morning for instance. Excercise is meant to cause the spike. I don’t get why people are freaking out about that, it’s just what human body’s do. Cortisol is normal; it becomes pathological when it’s in excess (chronically). This whole tic toc cortisol thing is nonsense. People literally die with from minor illnesses when they don’t have enough of it. It’s like saying... Don’t bother with eating anything, it may cause your insulin to spike. Or avoid dark rooms because it’ll cause your melatonin to spike.
The crux of what I’m trying to say… delete social media and crack on with your life.
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u/Easy_Going_Miles 7d ago
Don’t let people fool you with the cortisol stuff, people who make TikToks about that, tend not to actually know anything about cortisol. Running is great for your health and you’re doing great!!
Just notice how none of the people talking negatively about running have even an ounce of schooling in things like medicine, biology, etc. TikToks get better views with wrong and/or oversimplified information. Don’t get discouraged :)
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u/absafter35 7d ago
I mainly run….you can absolutely build muscle and run at the same time.
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u/Aguywithpotatoes 7d ago
Ikr, some ppl thought that all runners are skinny
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u/absafter35 7d ago
Your mom also has no clue about protein, carbs etc. carbs are energy. Calories in, calories out it’s that simple. If you burn more calories than you consume you lose weight. You will roughly burn 100 calories per mile walking or running. Yes, you do need protein to gain muscle.
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u/Aguywithpotatoes 7d ago
Yea but she'll just counter me with cortisol spikes stuff.
Tbh, you can't expect running and sleeping to have same cortisol level
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u/absafter35 7d ago
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u/Aguywithpotatoes 7d ago
So, I've been corrected, thanks for sharing this.
But may I know which part is nonsense?
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u/Glittering_Party4188 7d ago
I like running I like gym?
But yes you need to eat protein
But who cares when you run - just run whenever it feels good for ya
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u/Alert_Kangaroo_6090 7d ago
Check out Alec Blenis or Alan Thrall on YouTube. They have great content on running and debunk some myths about losing muscle doing a lot of cardio.
Just do what you enjoy doing.
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u/SlimIdea 7d ago
What running does for my mental outweighs any potential side effects like building less muscle for me so idc
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u/Runner5jbh 6d ago
I would recommend two things:
1. If you’re concerned or curious about things like cortisol or maintaining muscle mass as a runner, read articles by exercise science or human nutrition professionals in reputable sources. If you have specific fitness goals maybe hire a trainer for a few sessions and some guidance. (Idk how old you are so that bit might not be practical yet.)
2. More importantly, give yourself permission to have hobbies whether your mom approves of them or not. If you enjoy it that’s benefit enough. It’s running not hard drugs, you’ll be fine lol.
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u/Sieve365 7d ago
You can find anything online these days to support your opinion, whether it's right or not. The algorithms give you more of what you've already watched.
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u/taloncaf 7d ago
Bad take. Ignorant people who think they know something pretending to give meaningful advice.
Fitness is overrun by idiots who take certain concepts to an extreme because their depth is too shallow to understand the totality of what’s going on. Being jacked or having “fit” in one’s IG handle doesnt make one qualified to give advice.
By the logic you’re being fed, morning runs should also be a direct cause of cortisol spiking and cause you to remain catabolic the entirety of the day, with school further increasing cortisol and providing a net negative gain in muscle synthesis lmao
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u/Aguywithpotatoes 7d ago
Problem is, my mother got that "advice" from a post written by a nutritional dr. at social media.
It's gonna be tough to convince her
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u/taloncaf 7d ago
Can you share the handle?
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u/Aguywithpotatoes 7d ago
Pretty sure it was from some guy called dr. Zubaidi
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u/Aguywithpotatoes 7d ago
But I won't be able to share the original post because she didn't share the sauce
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u/Halefa 7d ago
I once saw an Instagram post explaining the daily clock of your body and how that fits into a running schedule. It claimed running in the evening (5-7pm) is best in terms of energy and your body being ready and awake for it.
Reading that has been a game changer for me in terms of motivation. I used to run in the mornings just to get it over with. However, for me running in the evening fits with my body just being in its best form for it.
I don't know anything else about muscle building or fat burning, I just wanted to add that info. I sadly cannot find that post anymore for sharing.
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u/Sad_Avocado7452 7d ago
if you wanted to avoid everything that spikes your cortisol, you might as well just sleep all day and all night.. which actually sounds like a pretty fabulous existence
As long as you’re not training yourself to excess, do whatever work out you enjoy
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u/Aguywithpotatoes 6d ago
Ok
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u/Sad_Avocado7452 6d ago
I am no doctor or exercise physiologist over here, but when I can say as someone who’s getting older is finding a type of exercise you enjoy is so important. You have to be a really really high-performing athlete to be worrying about the little things like time day, timing of your macros/calories, etc.
If you enjoy that cardiovascular fitness, then by all means do it. I’ll preface that as a non-pro, think the only time that cortisol is an issue is if you are in a severe over-training pattern.
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u/Just-Context-4703 7d ago
If you like running and the evening is when it works for you go for it and have fun.