most muscle mass

**VikingPower** · Posted On: 3/14/2005 2:28pm

Originally Posted by keinhaar

NOT REALLY.

:crybaby2:

**Mediocrates** · Posted On: 3/14/2005 3:45pm

The main reason for cardio is to make your aerobic respiration more efficient, Mediocrates, not to strengthen your heart.

Got it...."cardio" is not for strengthening the heart.

The more oxygen you get into your blood, the more efficient your glucose metabolism will become, and glucose is what human beings need for energy.

Would be nice if I could churn out tons of extra red blood cells.

Cardio activities in general make the heart more efficient and thus they can do more with less work.

The heart only does one thing: beat. Therefore, to get more efficient at beating, it must get stronger. Therefore, "cardio activities" strengthen the heart.

Uh oh.....

That's why marathoners and the like have lower than average heartbeats (I think the world record is someone whose heart only beat 42 times a minute).

Because, of course, it wouldn't be logical that those with naturally highly efficient hearts would do well in marathons. What's the typical amount of muscle tissue on a marathon runner, again? And why would I ask that question?

**VikingPower** · Posted On: 3/14/2005 4:33pm

Originally Posted by Mediocrates

Because, of course, it wouldn't be logical that those with naturally highly efficient hearts would do well in marathons. What's the typical amount of muscle tissue on a marathon runner, again? And why would I ask that question?

Actually, the record's a lot lower, and it was Frank Shamrock's heart rate that was measured at 42 BPM from the article I have (will post it once I get the time to type it up). Lance Armstrong's right now is somewhere near 32-34, his is the highest I've seen yet.