Is It Better To Run Before Or After Your Workout Routine

One important question often arises when building a training routine that combines aerobic and strength training. Do I need to run it before and after training?

The answer is not as simple as fit in one size. The best timing depends on your goal. Whether it’s building muscle, losing fat, improving endurance, or simply improving overall fitness. Understanding the physiology of the energy system, muscle fatigue, and hormonal responses can help you choose the most effective order. Explore science to help you train smarter.

Understanding simultaneous training

Simultaneous training refers to the combination of aerobic (heart) and anaerobic (intensity) exercises within the same session or training program. Both forms of exercise offer considerable health and performance benefits, but the order in which they are performed can have a significant impact on adaptation such as muscle growth, increased strength, and endurance.

Important considerations

1. Your main goal

• Fat reduction: Aerobic exercise rear The weight may be effective due to fat oxidation. Weightlifting will deplete glycogen and encourage your body to burn fat during subsequent runs.
• Muscle gain (hypertrophy): Aerobic exercise rear It’s desirable. Aerobic exercise first can reduce strength, power, and neuromuscular efficiency during resistance training, and can slow down muscle gain.
• Endurance performance: Aerobic exercise in front It may be suitable for runners, triathletes or cyclists with a focus on endurance development. Prioritizing execution allows for better techniques and pacing when your body is at its freshest.

2. Scientific research and energy systems

Research shows that The order of exercise is important About performance results:

• Aerobic exercise before weight: Research has reported a decline in strength performance, especially when aerobic exercise precedes resistance training.
• Weights before aerobic exercise: Resistance training has little effect on subsequent aerobic performance and may even improve fat oxidation after exercise.
• Run first for endurance: Research by Hansen et al. (2005) showed that Your training order should match your priorities– Endurance training first made aerobic advances.
• For fat loss: Total energy expenditure is most important for fat loss, not exercise order. However, some evidence suggests Aerobic exercise after weight can promote fat oxidation When glycogen is low.

why?

• Strength training is highly dependent Adenosine triphosphate – Phosphocratin (ATP-PC) and Anaerobic glycolysis.
• Perform the exhaustion glycogen Stores and guidance Central fatigueneuromuscular coordination disorder.

3. The effects of fatigue and hormones

• You can do aerobic exercise before resistance training Cortisol levelscan lower levels of anabolic hormones like testosterone and impair muscle recovery.
• Chasing weight can be strengthened Growth hormone (GH) and catecholamine Responses, especially in high-strength circuits (Schwanbeck et al., 2020).

4. Recovery and risk of injury

• Run before strength Especially in compound exercises such as squats and deadlifts, this can increase the risk of inadequate lifting morphology due to pre-fatigue.
• Chasing the weight It may be psychologically difficult, but if performed at a moderate pace, it will be biomechanically lower risk.

Run after strength training: Pro & Cons

Strong Points

1. Prioritize muscle and strength
2. Strengthen fat burns after workout
3. Improvement of the hormone environment

Cons

1. Greater fatigue risk
2. It may not be suitable for your endurance priorities

Practical recommendations by goal

Split Day Training Strategy

If optimal performance for both modalities is your goal (e.g. strength and aerobic exercise), consider it Session split:

• morning: Strength training
• evening: Aerobic exercise (or vice versa)
• Alternative training dates: Monday (lift), Tuesday (run)
• Please allow at least 6 hours Session Intervals to Maximize Adaptation (Wilson et al., 2012)

Final Verdict: Adjust it to your goals

There’s no optimal time to run –Context is important.

• Do you want to get stronger and develop muscles? Lift it first.
• Training for races and building stamina? Run it first.
• Are you trying to lose fat? Choose a time that will help you burn more calories consistently.

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

reference

1. Wilson, J. M., et al. (2012). Simultaneous training: A meta-analysis examining the interference of aerobic and tolerance exercise. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 26(8), 2293–2307. https://doi.org/10.1519/jsc.0b013e31823a3e2d
2. Hansen, D. , et al. (2005). Effects of exercise training on physical fitness, coronary risk factors, and psychological well-being in obese adults. Obesity review, 6(1), 36–45.
3. Schumann, M., et al. (2014). Is it your first aerobic exercise or is it your first intensity? The effect of exercise sequences on health and performance outcomes. Sports Medicine, 44(2), 217–230.
4. Cadore, El, et al. (2013). Simultaneous training in elderly men: impact on functional ability and strength. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.
5. Kang, H., et al. (2009). Effects of female resistance to acute hormonal responses and long-term training adaptation and aerobic exercise sequence. Applied European Journal of Physiology.
6. Schwanbeck, S., et al. (2020). Simultaneous training and muscle hypertrophy: Are there any interference effects? Journal of Functional morphology and kinematics.